Out of the Shadows
by TheConjuringMind
Summary: AU from Episode I. The planned capture of Queen Amidala by Darth Maul and Senator Palpatine goes a bit differently than planned, with unexpected results. PadmexMaul. (One more chapter to go).
1. Thoughts To Ponder

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Star Wars.**

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"Your Highness," Captain Panaka calls to me as I abruptly leave the throne room.

Picking up the skirts to my extravagant cloak, I sprint down the hall. Instead of replying, I ignore him. I walk swiftly down the palace's corridors, and search for my private chambers. It'd be the only good place for me now. To be alone in complete silence. Then I'd actually have time to cool down and think.

Right now I am angry. Furious.

I don't wish to converse with Panaka any more than I have to if it's going to involve yelling and constant objections.

Being Queen, I was instructed to have a meeting with Captain Panaka to discuss security matters. I didn't mind at first, but as the discussion progressed, I found myself getting more and more agitated.

He told me my handmaidens were not just chosen for their courage and intelligence, but were also chosen to be near my height and weight. When I asked him why, he said that if any danger should arise, one of them would take my place. An overwhelming anger rose inside of me. Did he really think I would do that? Run out on my people and worry only of my own safety? Did he think I wasn't brave enough to stand tall in the face of danger? Did he doubt my capability as Queen?

Those were the very questions plaguing my mind when I dashed out of the throne room.

The last question in my head didn't need to be asked. I already knew he doubted me. He had shown his displeasure when I was elected Queen a week ago. Although he never said anything to me personally, I did overhear him mention to the palace gaurds that he thought I was too young to be Queen. He ignored the fact that from an early age, I had been trained by the best teachers on Naboo. He ignored the fact that I had served as ruler of Theed, our capital city, for two years, and could best King Veruna in any debate.

He must not think of me as anything but a clueless young girl. I may be fourteen years old (fifteen in three more rotations), but I am intelligent beyond my years. I just wish he could comprehend that.

My thoughts pause when I reach my chamber doors. There are two gaurds in front of me, one on each side of the doors. They both straighten when they recognize me. I look at them expectantly, and they both pull open the doors. I instruct them not to let anyone disturb me unless it is an emergency, and have them close the doors behind me.

I sigh quietly.

I don't want the guards to hear me. I don't want them doubting my leadership too. I take in the room around me. I stare at the intricate designs on the walls and the ornate ceiling patterns. Even though I have lived in the palace for a week, I am still in awe at its incredible moldings and architecture. The furnishings lack nothing either. They are just as magnificent as the rest of the palace.

But I didn't become Queen to live extravagantly. I became Queen to make a difference. To maintain peace. To extinguish what was corrupt in the system. And at the moment, it doesn't seem like I'm doing a very good job of it. I've just walked out on a disagreement with my security guard. Perhaps I am more childish than I thought.

I shuffle out onto the balcony, hoping that a little fresh air will help me clear my thoughts. I rest both my hands on the railing surrounding the balcony, and breath in. I look below me. The waterfalls of Theed sparkle. Trees and plants surround the square in a thousand shades of living green. My planet is a jewel. From deep space, it looks like an emerald. It is a world that I love. I would die before I see my people hurt, my world destroyed. But am I choosing the right way to protect it? Maybe I should reconsider what Panaka had said.

Just then, I hear a light rapping on the door. I don't have to turn around to know who it is. He must've persuaded them somehow. They don't usually go against the Queen's command.

"Your Highness," Panaka says. "permission to speak with you?"

I whirl around to face the doors, the barrier between us, and take a deep breath before responding.

"Permission granted. Come in."

The guards open the doors, and Panaka steps in cautiously, looking at me like I might explode. I won't. I've managed to clear my head, so I'll try to agree with whatever he proposes. I turn myself back around, looking out over the balcony again.

"What do you propose we do with this matter?" I ask.

He stops beside me on the balcony and follows my gaze. We stare at the city below us.

"This is not a choice of yours," he says firmly.

I am shocked by his tone of voice and I have to stop myself from scoffing. _Not a choice of mine? _I am the Queen of Naboo, shouldn't I have a say in who will be putting their lives in danger in order to protect me?

"This is an established security procedure." He finishes. I nod once in understanding.

"I do not wish to argue with you Captain. If this is what must be done, so be it." I say flatly.

"Naboo has been at peace for years," he says matter-of-factly. "I doubt we'll need to resort to this procedure during your reign." I turn my head to look at him. I need to confirm that he believes that to be true.

"I hope not," is all I say.

He stares back at me sadly, then departs from my chambers and resumes doing his duty.

I stay on the balcony for hours.

Waiting for the light to fade, and darkness to claim the planet.

When night falls, I get the sudden feeling that I am being watched. My breath catches in my throat and I look all around me. There's no one to be seen. I want to call for one of my guards, but I don't want to seem cowardly. Whatever it is that I feel is watching me, it's certainly below me.

Trying to be brave, I cautiously bend over the ledge and peer down to the ground below.

Nothing.


	2. The Phantom Arrives

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Star Wars.**

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(Darth Maul's POV)

"Have you reached your destination?" comes a rough, scraggly voice through my com-link. My right hand shoots up to my ear, and I cringe at the obnoxiously loud sound emitting from it.

"Yes, Master," I reply through gritted teeth. I'd think that someone as mysterious and low-key as him would put more of an effort into making this mission as covert as possible. Considering how much is at stake if this mission were to go awry.

The Palace guards could have overheard my conversation with him and alerted the others. Even with as dimwitted and inefficient as they are, they're still very capable of sounding alarms.

Although I suppose it wouldn't matter anyway, I am on the verge of becoming a Sith Master. I highly doubt their firepower could withstand the blade of my lightsaber. Even if _all _the Palace's Royal Guards came marching out, they would be no match for me. Especially with the army of droids that are to be heading this way. Being a _blasted_ pacifist planet, they don't have half the firepower needed to kill me.

"I'm closing in on the Palace as we speak." I say into the com-link.

I'm only a matter of yards away, opting to hide behind shrubbery, and stay within the shadows as I trek closer towards it.

"Very good, my young apprentice..." My Master replies in a low, gravel-like voice. "Complete this mission, and I will consider you worthy of my praise, perhaps even of taking my postion as Sith Lord."

My eyes shine with determination, and my lips curl up in a devilish smirk.

I _will_ complete this mission.

Even if I have to kill _every living thing_ on this planet. To trade ranks with my master, or even recieve some form of praise would mean more than a hundred worlds to me. Of course, I'd have no need for him once I became the most powerful Sith Lord to roam the planets. But to be the most powerful I'll have to learn, and the only being worthy of learning from would be Master Sidious. He's the most powerful Sith Lord known to the galaxy.

_For now_.

I levitate myself upwards, effectively evading the few guards' lines of sight. I float in mid-air, stopping when I am directly under the balcony that leads to the Queen's chambers. I stick to the bottom of the balcony like a spider defying gravity.

I can feel the presence of a young female lingering over-head.

_It's the Queen_.

She's directly above me.

To my surprise, I sense no one else within close proximity to her.

That means no one's guarding her.

I smile deviously into the dark. She couldn't be in a better place to be captured if I were to place her somewhere myself.

I start to lean upward, levitating myself as I go, but I stop when I hear her breath catch in her throat.

She didn't detect me. There's no possible way she could know I am here.

Unless she too...never mind.

I prepare myself to jump upward and snatch her from where she stands, but am temporarily halted by what I sense.

_fear_.

And a doubt in confidence.

_Sadness, _even.

My brow knits in thought. These are feelings I haven't felt since I was a _mere youngling. _An innocent, mindless, pathetic creature, not worthy of possessing the powers I do now.

Just the thought of my younger days _sickens_ me. I remember bruises, scars, and the bitter, metallic taste of blood in my mouth. Although many would call it torture, Master would call it conditioning.

Master would be right. I wouldn't be the power-hungry brute that I am now if it wasn't for training.

If it wasn't for _him_.

I exhale silently, suddenly remembering what I am here for.

I sense her body coming closer to the edge of the balcony.

I shove myself against the Palace's wall just in time as she leans herself over to peer underneath.

I fight a shiver going down my spine. I'm not used to temperatures this cold at night, or at any time actually. Especially not after living on a planet erupting with lava for so long. Whoever would want to live on _this _blasted planet is beyond me.

When she discovers there's nothing here (at least to her knowledge) she returns to her previous position on the balcony, waiting for something to happen.

_This is it._

I levitate myself up the side of the wall and set myself down directly behind her.

She's not at all dressed for sleep. Her silky brown hair is put up in a ridiculously complicated head-dress, lined with gold and sequins, and she wears an extravagant red dress.

She may look older when adorned with such accessories, but I can tell she is young. She stands at only five feet, and has the curiosity and innocence of a child. A child that has not seen the harshness and cruelty that some creatures in these worlds possess.

My eyes nearly stare a hole into the back of her skull, and her head twitches.

Her fear is running wild now, and she is completely paralyzed.

_She is mine now._

I grab her swiftly from behind and slap my hand over her mouth. not allowing her to scream.

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**A/N Yeah...I was trying to be in character with Maul, but I'm not sure if I managed it. :(**

**I do know that Maul was more of a dark, mysterious figure in episode 1: the Phantom Menace, but in one of the star wars books that I read (The Wrath of Darth Maul, I think), he was a bit more complex.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this. There are more chapters to come! ;)**


	3. Unknown Territory

**A/N Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars, or ipods, iphones, ipads or kindles. **

**Sorry it took a while for the update, didn't mean to leave you hanging. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

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(Padme's POV)

Nothing? How could there be nothing? I know for a fact I felt something below me.

Something _dark._

I listen intently for some kind of sound. Some kind of noise.

_Anything_ really.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Worrying when there's _nothing_ to worry about. Panaka did say that the chances of me being in any real danger were slim, and he's probably right. Naboo has been at peace for years, what would be the reason of disrupting that peace now?

Suddenly, I hear something tap the floor behind me.

I stare blankly ahead, eyes wide in fear.

I want to scream.

To run.

But I can't move.

I am completely paralyzed.

Whatever or whoever it is, is directly behind me. And this time, I'm sure of it.

Why hadn't the guards said anything? Didn't they see it coming? Or maybe that was it, they _hadn't_ seen it coming.

I rack my brain for something I could do. Something I could-

Just then, a hand grabs me from behind, and another slaps over my mouth.

I don't bother screaming or yelling for help, it will only come out as a muffled sound anyway, and I don't want to give my captor any satisfaction.

Judging from its height and strong arms, my captor is a male. And he doesn't want to kill me.

If he did, I would already dead. That means he wants to bargain with me (or hold me for ransom).

Instead of trying to struggle free, I stay absolutely still, and wait for him to speak.

He doesn't.

Instead, he removes his hand from my mouth, and puts his arm around my neck.

Now I'm beyond scared.

I'm frightened.

He tightens his arm around my neck, and begins slowly squeezing the life out of me. He has no hold on my arms, but there's no reason for him to. By the time my arms shoot up to my neck to attempt freeing me of his grasp, I'm almost unconscious.

The sky, the balcony,_ everything _starts fading away into nothingness.

I widen my eyes as far as I can, refusing to shut down, but it doesn't help.

I'm slipping away.

All I see is blackness.

And it swallows me whole.

* * *

I wake to a light beeping sound.

My eyes are closed, but I can see light streaming in from somewhere (probably from the balcony, I didn't close the curtains before going to bed last night). It must be early in the morning. Or...late in the afternoon, I can't tell which.

Now that I think about it, when did I get to sleep last night? I know I was out on the balcony for some time, but I don't remember what I did afterwards.

I turn over on my left side and grimace.

My entire body aches.

I shift around on my bed, hoping to find a more comfortable position.

I have no such luck.

I realize I am not wearing my comfortable silk night gown, but one of my extravagant robes. Did I forget to remove such garments before sleeping? Or was I too tired to do so?

I try turning my head to the side, but I am stopped by something on top of it. I scrunch my eyebrows together in confusion, and move my hand up towards it. It's no wonder I'm so uncomfortable, I'm still wearing my headdress and robe!

I sleepily pull the headdress off my head, and blindly drop it in front of me, expecting to have it land on my nightstand. Instead, it falls to the floor with a 'clank'.

My eyes shoot open at the sound, and I bolt upright in a sitting position.

It doesn't take a second for me to realize that I am not in my chambers.

The walls and floor are metal, like a cell, large lights flicker from above, the bed is nothing but a large metal appendage jutting out from one of four the walls, and a thick metal door (presumably locked from the outside) is only a few feet away from me.

I breathe in and out, trying my best to relax, and rack my brain for an explanation to how I got here.

I remember the balcony, the night sky, the cold air, a sudden feeling of being watched, and...no.

It is all clear now.

It's just what me and Panaka had feared; I've been captured.

Was this my fault? Had I listened to Panaka in the first place, would this not have happened? If I just wouldn't have stormed out of the throne room in a childish rage, would I still be where I am now? Who would want to capture me in the first place? What would be the reason of doing so? Do they plan to take over Naboo? If so, what is to become of my people?

I don't understand.

Did they think that a young, recently elected queen would not have the cunning or strength to resist them? I can only ask that question in my mind. A queen should never question her strength aloud. She must assume strength, even when she feels uncertain. And that is what I must do now.

I'm not going to let whoever it is whisk me away to some far away planet while they take over my own.

I have to take action.

I have to do _something._

I'm not going to sit around here waiting for them to bargain with me, or for Panaka to come to my rescue. I have to do this on my own. I have to show them I am capable of ruling as queen. I'm not weak.

I give my surroundings another quick scan.

My eyes are met with the same cold metal walls, and flickering ceiling light. There is _one thing_ however, on the ceiling I had not noticed before that catches my eye.

It's a square shaped panel, with a small latch in it.

It appears to be a vent shaft.

I sigh happily.

This could be my way out.

I stand up, preparing myself to escape, but stop when I look down at my garments. There's no way I'm making it up to that vent wearing this robe. It's much too heavy. And even if I could make it up there, I'd probably get myself stuck.

I look at my disheveled headdress on the floor. The only way I'll make it up to that vent is if I take off my robe, and as much I dislike the idea, I'm left no choice but to do so.

Luckily for me, I do have a much smaller dress underneath all this thick red clothing. Although I never once thought I'd have to go frolicking around in it to crawl through a tiny vent and hopefully free myself of a being that intended to either bargain with or kill me and enslave my entire planet.

Weird how that happens, huh?

I try to take out any items hidden in the inner pockets of my robe that might be of use to me before ridding myself of it completely. Apparently whoever captured me had already thought this through, and had emptied my pockets of such items.

It's a good thing I always keep a few bobby pins hidden somewhere within my headdress, other wise I'd be leaving this cell with absolutely nothing at all.

I remove my heeled shoes, leaving me barefooted. I don't care, I get better balance and traction on my bare-feet anyway.

It takes me exactly three tries of jumping off my-I mean, _the _bed (it's not mine, I don't belong here) before finally reaching the vent above.

And when I do reach it I'm holding on by my arms alone. It's a slight struggle pulling myself up into the tiny vent, but when I do, I can't help but feel a slight satisfaction with being able to in the first place. At least I know that a week or so of being pampered as queen hasn't made me soft. I'm still _perfectly_ capable of doing things on my own.

I crawl through the dark, dusty vent on my hands and knees, not at all aware of where I am or where I am going. I just know that I'm moving forward. And as far as I'm concerned, forward is _good. _

The light beeping noise I had heard when I first awoke has since ceased, and I certainly hope that it has nothing to do with the fact that I am out that cell. Although I'm sure that if they were monitoring me I would've already been halted in my attempts at escaping.

Hoping for the best, I push on. Crawling blindly into the darkness ahead of me, not bothering to look back.

The heat in the vents is almost overwhelming, beads of sweat adorn my powdered white face, causing the rest of my make-up to run. I swipe away some of it with the back of my hand, not caring a bit how much it smudges across my face.

Wait...space is cold.

That's just the way it is.

Why would someone bother making it unusually warm? That's just _pointless_.

That is, unless you're used to being warm...because you live on a warm planet.

Yeah...that would make perfect sense.

Although I'm not having half as much trouble as I would've if I had brought my headdress with me, my head still feels heavy and hot. And the heat is making me light-headed.

Though I suppose it could just be that I am hungry.

Now that I think about it, when was the last time I ate? I can't remember, everything's fuzzy...

I blink slowly a few times, and try to clear my head.

It doesn't help, I feel like retching.

I lean my head against the vent to rest, but the heat burns my skin and I pull away from it quickly, alarmed.

That's it, I have to get out of here.

_Now._

I scramble quickly on my hands and knees, grimacing at the unwanted blasts of heat circulating through the vents. My legs want to quit working, and my head throbs.

Now my vision is getting blurry.

What am I going to do? I can't see where I'm going, I don't know how to get out, and I've come too far to go back. What if I don't get out of this alive?

No.

_Stop it right now Padme, you can't think like that _I scold myself.

A few feet ahead, I feel a handle beneath me. I turn it sideways with all the strength I have left, and it does...

_Nothing._

I slump to my side in defeat, allowing the hot metal to seer into my flesh.

This is it, isn't it? The _young, pathetic, ignorant _queen got herself captured and killed, huh? It shouldn't end this way.

It _can't_ end this way.

I'm better than this.

_I know I am!_

Just then, the metal paneling falls out from under me, and it clatters to the ground.

With _me_ along with it.

I land on my back, eyes wide, air knocked clean out of me, and smile despite the whole situation.

I'm still here.

I'm _alive_.

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**A/N On my computer this chapter was really loooonnngggg...I'm not sure if it is on whatever device you're using to view it; Ipod, Ipad, Iphone, kindle, cellphone, personal computer, library computer, laptop, whateves, but to me it seemed way too long. **

**I was going to split it into two or three chapters, but I figured that; 1) It would be annoying as heck. **

**2) It would take me extra time to post, therefore it would take you extra time to read. **

**3) I might not have the time to post the other chapters, therefore leaving you hanging, therefore ticking you off, and/or therefore ruining your day.**

**So I figured it'd be best if I didn't. :)**

**Thank you very much for reading/skimming! Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	4. Surveillant

**Disclaimer: I don't own Star wars.**

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(Darth Maul's POV)

I carelessly sling her limp body over my shoulder, not bothering to check and see if she still has a pulse or not, and slowly levitate the both of us down the balcony. I look from left to right to see if any of the guards happened to see the incident. Not so surprisingly, they are completely unaware of anything that just occurred.

This mission couldn't have been easier if a large group of _younglings_ had been told to keep guard.

But still, I pull up the black hood to my robe, allowing it to cloak me perfectly in the dark night, and stealthily walk away with my prize.

The girl herself isn't that heavy, in fact she's quite light, and would be especially easy to carry across the tattooine desert if I had to. But her outrageously thick dress, that has layers and layers of fabric, has to weigh at least two times her own weight, and causes me to limp ever so slightly with both her and it draped over my shoulder like a blanket.

Although it's nothing that I can't handle, it's also a great annoyance.

And a great annoyance can end up being a great problem.

And a great problem can end up being a great issue.

And a great issue can end up being-

BLAST!

Just then, her head-ornament slides off her, and falls to the ground, in one, _deafeningly loud_ clatter.

I freeze in place.

My brows scrunch together, and I cringe at the sound, cursing under my breath.

I give a quick check of my surroundings before continuing onward.

As much as I want to leave the blasted item on the cold, hard brick, I know I can't. If I were to leave it here, then I'd be leaving a trail, like that of bread crumbs for the idiotic guards to find and seek me out. Not to the mention the fact that I'd probably have a _very angry_ queen literally _on my back _about the whole situation.

I can see it now, being_ badgered about it_ on the ship the rest of the way back.

I inwardly groan, and pick up the blasted little 'tiara', or whatever in the galaxy the object is called, and continue making my way to the ship.

* * *

When we reached the ship, I ended up putting her on the bed in one of the lesser used sleeping quarters. I would've settled for shoving her into an empty, unused compartment, but Master insisted that I put her in a safer place.

For whatever reason, I don't know.

But for the time being, I just follow orders.

I figured there wasn't really anything she could get into in that tiny space anyway.

Not much she could mess up.

Other than the makeshift pull-out bed and the keypad to the door, there wasn't really anything else in the room. Except maybe the air vent, which happened to be too far for her short body to reach.

And even if she _coul_d reach it, she'd just end up getting herself fried by the intense blasts of heat circulating through it.

Besides, if she even so much as moved an _inch_ in that room, I'd know about it. There are countless motion sensors and cameras jammed in there. Not to mention the fact that I can practically _sense_ her very presence, and _read _her every feeling. And, having carried her over my shoulder for the past twenty minutes, I now know her scent. So I'd be able to track her down in a heartbeat.

I pinch the cloth on my shoulder and inhale deeply.

Her scent is still there.

Still fresh.

I take in the rich smell of nectar, allowing it to intoxicate me with its sickening fragrance.

I turn my attention back to the navigational screen before me. We've almost reached our destination. Only a few more-

Just then, I sense her movement, and quickly pull up the live camera feed to the room she's in. The images on the monitor reveal her laying on the bed where I left her, eyes closed, body motionless, and sound asleep.

I curiously tilt my head sideways, and stare at the screen before me.

Her white make-up is some-what smeared across her face, her lips are parted slightly as if she were to begin speaking, and the large ornament atop her head is slowly sliding off her again.

I absentmindedly wonder what a little creature like herself would dream of. If it would be of peace amongst the galaxies, and grassy fields filled with nothing but flowers, or if it would be of nightmares of destruction and terror, where monsters and bad men ruled among every planet?

I myself am not one for things as childish as dreaming. But I am curious to know what it is that she dreams of in that tiny little head of hers.

...

* * *

She did it.

She actually managed to make her way into the vents.

She is probably on all fours, crawling blindly into the darkness, with no light to guide her.

I can sense her uncertainty.

Her_ fear_.

Her _doubts_.

My lips curl up in a devious smile.

Now things are about to get interesting.

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**A/N I wanted to update really quick before the year was over, so I did this in about...I don't know, 20 minutes?  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter (sorry if there are any typos, I'll probably fix them up tomorrow), there are many more to come! **

**Oh! and before I forget, have a happy New Year!**


	5. The Dark Presence

**A/N I'm very sorry for the long wait, but I have been working on various other stories, and hope you understand. I will try my absolute best to update more often. **

**That's a promise.**

**This chapter consists mostly of thoughts and feelings. If you're looking forward to some dialogue, you might want to chill out and wait for the next few chapters or so. But don't worry, once this rock gets rolling, there will be plenty of dialogue to satisfy your needs. ;)**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.  
**

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(Padme's POV)

Walking around an unfamiliar ship wearing nothing but a silk under dress can feel quite strange. Especially when you're used to wearing layers and layers of clothing like I usually do.

But then again, I'm also used to being on a planet with colder temperatures than the one present, not being put in a sweltering hot metal box. So having only a sheer cloth to cover my body doesn't feel all that bad at the moment.

In fact, I'd be far more than uncomfortable if I did have the many layers of clothing I usually do.

I take my time roaming through the ship's corridors, trying my best to be quiet and alert. You never know who you might be lurking around a dark corner, just waiting to pounce. Not being on my toes in a situation like this would be a great risk. And having narrowly escaped certain death only a few moments ago, a risk is the last thing I need.

Had it not been for the paneling of the vents falling out completely, I wouldn't be here now. I wouldn't be standing on my own two feet. I'd be lying dead in the ship's ventilation shafts.

And that scares me.

_I couldn't save myself_.

No.

Even _worse_; _I wasn't capable _of saving myself.

I had been trapped in a small space, walking on my hands and knees, surrounded by intense heat. My mind was in a mess, and my thoughts were scattered. I only made one attempt at escaping, _just_ _one,_ only to have it fail me, and ultimately decide to give up myself.

How could I have done that? How could I have been so weak? So scared?

Why was I so unsure of myself? I don't know. But one thing I do know is that before now, I'd never doubted myself. At least, not like this. Never to the point of just giving up altogether.

But I did.

I just _stayed there_.

In the vent.

Allowing my breaths to become shorter and shorter as the heat began to suffocate me.

My _life force _was starting to fade, and the only thing I could think of was how disappointed I was in myself. And how doubtful I was with my capability of ruling as queen.

I wasn't thinking of my planet. I wasn't thinking of all the people I'd be letting down if I died. I was being selfish. Only worrying about my own skin. I put my life above everyone else on Naboo.

How could I do such a thing? I'd always cared about others. Always worried of the safety of my people. I'd always been there for them when they needed it, always pulled through.

No matter how small or petty the problem was, I'd always try my best to fix it. And I'd never stop trying until it was fixed.

So why couldn't I be there now, when it really counted? Why was I being so childish? Cowering in a corner instead of standing up for myself and my people?

My parents had always told me that I was mature for my age. That I was wise beyond my years. If they could see me now, I doubt that they would say the same.

My bare feet shuffle silently across the hard metal floor, and my thoughts slowly begin to fade out. I have absolutely no idea where I am, but from the looks of it, I ought to be getting close to the control room soon.

The ship itself seems relatively small. I doubt I have much farther to walk before I discover some way to escape.

The only problem is, when I get to the control room, I'm bound run into someone.

Or _something_.

And that someone will more than likely be my captor. The uncaring being who snatched me from my planet and whisked me away on this ship.

But I can't be scared. Not anymore.

My world may be under attack, and my life may still be in danger. But I must be strong. I must save my people.

From now on, I will fight with all my power, and I will never give in.

Not now, _not ever_.

Straight ahead and to the left I spot a well-lit room.

I cautiously make my way towards it, wary of who might be occupying it.

I glance down at the floor, just in time to see a dark shadow move across it. Despite being uncomfortably warm, a shiver runs down my spine, and I take a quick step backward. I don't want to get caught. I have no weapons or means of fighting them off. No way to defend myself. Unless a hairpin counts.

I hug the wall beside me, not wanting to be seen.

I exhale shakily in an attempt to calm myself down.

I hope that whoever it is can't hear me breathe, but knowing my luck, my position has probably already been given away.

But even so, I muster up as much courage as I can, and take a quick peek into the room.

I spot a cloaked figure sitting in front of a large control panel.

I jerk my head back immediately.

I don't know what it is, but I have the same feeling that I did when I was out on the balcony at the Palace. A strange faint pang, almost like a sixth sense, that seems to warn me of the presence of another.

_A dark presence_.

My breath hitches in my throat.

_My captor's presence._

He's in there.

I can..._sense_ _him._

The feeling is strange, and new, but there none-the-less. And I'm not sure whether to embrace it or ignore it.

I don't know what to do, but I have to make a move. I can't just stay here and wait for him to find me.

But what _should_ I do? Take my chances and make a run for the control panel?

Or should I try to sneak past him and find some other way to escape?

But what good would that do if he catches me again? I'll just be back at square one.

Back in that small room.

_That cell._ Being locked up for who knows how long, until he either bargains with or kills me. And I don't think he'd hesitate to do so.

I take another quick glance in his direction.

I can't really tell what species he is (his back is facing me), but judging from his height and how his cloak drapes over his body, he appears to be human.

He has two arms and legs like a human, that much I know.

I lean my head back against the wall.

I've made up my mind now.

I know what I have to do.

Trying my best to rid myself of fears and doubt, I take a deep breath and steel myself.

If I'm going to do this, it has to be quick.

Fast.

Super fast.

There will be no room for mistakes or errors. I only have one shot at this. Just one. And there's no guarantee that this will even turn out in the first place. But given my current situation, I have to at least try.

I must.

For my people. My planet. And for me.

I exhale slowly.

Here we go.

I launch myself off the wall, and swing myself into the room in one swift motion.

I nearly fall backward in surprise when I discover that the man is no longer there, but decide to press on anyway. It is as if he just vanished into thin air. I turned away for just a second, only to have him gone the next.

Where could he have gone? And why would he have left? Did he discover that I was missing from my cell? Was he trying to find me?

I don't know, but I certainly hope not.

I dart across the room to the navigational panel. My eyes scan all the controls for an escape pod, or something that will be of help to me right now.

I know how to send a hologram message but my_ stars_! I've never seen anything like this. I don't even know where to start.

Should I just try everything and see what happens? How much longer do I have before he comes back? What if-

A dark feeling quickly falls upon me again.

A shiver runs down my spine, my breath catches in my throat, and my body is completely paralyzed.

Not only is he in this very room, but he is directly behind me.

_I can feel him. _

I expect to have arms come around my neck like before, and begin choking the life out of me. Or for him to grab hold of me and shake me violently.

But he doesn't.

Instead, he slowly inches his way closer to me. His footsteps light and sure, his breathing slow and steady.

I can feel him lower his head to mine. My eyes widen in fear, as I stare blankly ahead.

He inhales deeply, taking in my scent, like a predator would do to its prey, causing me to jerk slightly to the side.

I can't die here.

Not now.

I had freedom right at my fingertips, and I let it slip away from me.

No. If I really am going to die, I want to die fighting. Not being scared out of my wits.

If this really is going to end with me lying dead on the hard metal floor, then I at least want to see the face of the man who killed me.

I slowly rotate my body around to face him, head low, eyes on the floor, prolonging my fate as much as possible.

My eyes slowly rise up to meet his dark, hood-covered face.

Two piercing yellow eyes stare back at my brown ones. Full of evil and hate.

Fear consumes my entire body, and my heart practically beats out of my chest.

I don't think that it's possible for me to be any more frightened than I am now.

...Until he pulls down his hood.

I gasp.

Turns out he's not a man at all, but a horrible, vicious-looking monster, with jet-black skin covered in strange red markings, and sharp horns poking out of all sides of his head.

His stare feels like having a thousand eyes on me. Watching. Waiting. Thinking. Plotting.

I can feel him feeding on my fear, using it to power himself.

But there's nothing I can do.

I can't move.

* * *

**A/N Did you like Padme's reaction to seeing Darth Maul's face? Was it too over-the-top? Did you enjoy reading this chapter? If so, what did you like about it? Leave me a review and let me know! :D  
**

**NOTE: I realize now that if I continue writing at this pace, this story won't be finished until next year. :/ **

**So I've decided to start updating regularly, on every Monday. **

**Yep, you read that right. Mondays.**

**I just can't stand to have so many people practically loathe them, so I've decided to give you a reason to look forward to them. **


	6. Escape

**A/N Did you think I forgot about you, my dear reader? Well, I didn't, I just had to engage in other activities before finally getting around to this one. And I'm truly sorry about that. I will try my absolute best to be more on top of things next time.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars. **

* * *

(Darth Maul's POV)

She looks a lot different without her queen's garb and headdress.

She looks younger.

More innocent.

Turns out she was only a girl, hiding behind a white mask.

I give her my fiercest look. A savage appearance can strike fear in the hearts of the weak. You don't have to say a word.

Never before have I felt someone's fear be so strong and intense.

Terror rises off her like steam. I intimidate her without even speaking. It is clear the minute she turns around to face me.

It's moments like these that leave me wondering; what it is about me that is the most frightening? Is it my ritual tattoos? My silence? Or is it my _eyes_ that strikes fear into their hearts the most?

I'm not sure. But I would certainly like to know.

Both of us stand in silence for a matter of minutes; me, because I see no purpose in speaking to begin with, and her, because she is too scared out of her wits to say anything at all.

Unlike what _she_ thinks, I knew where she was the whole time.

I knew that she was watching me from the wall, waiting for the perfect moment to come at me.

I could feel her there.

I could hear her breathing. Sense her uncertainty.

I knew that she was close by the moment her scent hit my nostrils. She didn't have a chance. She should've known that the second she peered into the room and saw me.

Her body is still trembling, but now I've had my fun. I need to get her back to her room. I can only imagine what Master would say if he knew that she had escaped from her cell.

I reach out my right hand to grab hold of her arm, and she shuts her eyes and turns her head away from me before my hand even makes contact with her.

I stare back at her, amused. What did she expect me to do? Hit her? Choke the life out of her? There's obviously a reason I even have her on this ship if she's still alive. Otherwise I would've killed her already.

But that's not my mission. My mission is to capture her and bring her to my Master.

For what reason, I'm not sure.

I had asked my Master 'why' before the mission commenced, and he told me that such matters were none of my concern.

Master is I am to be worthy of maintaining his apprenticeship, I must follow his orders.

And thus far, I have.

He rules me. He orders me. And he directs me. And as I have grown, so has his confidence in me. I stand by his side, but slightly behind, in his shadow. Exactly where I should be for now.

I reach out for her arm again, and she does the unexpected.

_The unpredictable_.

She jerks herself away from my grasp and slams her hand down on the ship's control pad.

Of all the scenarios I had calculated out in my mind, this was not one of them.

She obviously doesn't know the _first _thing about piloting a spaceship, because she doesn't reach for the main controls, or bother punching in any coordinates like an educated being would do in such matters.

I almost smirk at her stupidity, but refrain from doing so when I hear the dull robotic voice of the spacecraft;

_Ship will self-destruct in T minus ten minutes._

My face is suddenly filled with rage.

THAT_ FOOL!_

I glare at her, and shove her violently out of the way, causing her to sail across the room and crash into the wall.

I don't bother checking to see if she's alright. Right now I couldn't care less.

My hands dart to the controls, searching for some kind of way to reverse the problem.

Even with my knowledge of starship engines and mechanical skills, I come to find that there's no possible way for me to undo the damage that has been done. I have to accept that there is no way to fix it.

I try landing the ship manually before it explodes, but everything is jammed.

The last thing I want to do is leave the ship and its cargo behind. Aside from my speeder, and probes, I have countless other items aboard that I do not wish to lose, and I can only imagine the punishment I'll receive from my Master when he discovers that the ship was destroyed because I underestimated the girl.

The holographic screen blinks before me, warning me that I now only have nine minutes until the ship's destruction.

Resorting to my last option, I activate the only available escape pod on the ship, and ready it for departure.

I stomp over to the weak girl crumpled on the floor, and grab her arm. Forcibly pulling her up to a standing position.

She looks at me with alarm in her eyes, but remains silent.

I tighten my grip on her arm, warning her not to defy me. She cringes at the pain.

I drag her with me down the ship's hall, and towards the escape pod.

We have to move quickly if we want to survive the ship's explosion.

Her arm shakes in my grasp, she is filled with fear once again.

Whether it's because of me or the our predicament, I don't know. But I suspect both possibilities.

I am not scared. I have no fear.

There is no fear in a Sith.

The greatest thing I have learned about the Sith tradition is to be prepared to lose my life at any time.

But I know for a_ fact _that we'll make it out of this alive.

We won't even have as much as a scratch on us by the time we land.

Once we both enter the escape pod I seal the door behind us.

Only then do I release my grip from her arm, and allow her to shrink away from me in a small corner.

I don't mind being stuck in small spaces.

Instead of feeling trapped, I feel comforted.

It's like being encased in a shell.

I may not have adequate space for movement, but I do have the rare feeling of safety. And contentment.

I silently punch in coordinates for us to land on the nearest planet.

Hopefully there will be no more inconveniences on this mission...

* * *

**A/N I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have any ideas for the story that you would like to share? Leave a review and let me know!**

**Please let know if there are any typos. I spotted a few back in the other chapter, and have since corrected them.**


	7. Landing

**A/N Thank you for reading, it is greatly appreciated that you are willing to give a little bit of your time to my story. So thank you, very much.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

(Padme's POV)

It is a pleasant change to be in an area that is not simmering hot. Or at least, it would be, if the area wasn't _ice-cold_. Having lived on the planet Naboo my whole life, I'm used to some chilly temperatures when the sun starts to set. But I am not used to braving the cold in only a sheer night gown that cuts off just above the knee.

Although considering the circumstances, I think that inadequate attire is the least of my problems.

I don't know what I was thinking when I hit that control pad. Did I really think that pressing a few buttons would fix everything? And that I'd just "somehow" manage to land myself to safety?

What did I expect would happen if we_ did_ land? He wouldn't let me go. There was no way he was releasing his 'prisoner' that soon.

He had hatred in his eyes. Pure hatred.

Never before had I seen someone with such anger.

His eyes pierced my soul, he sneered at the very sight of me, and his whole appearance in itself struck fear into my heart.

It scared the daylights out of me.

I had seen angry men before.

I remember a few rotations ago, when I was passing through Theed. There were two grown men arguing over who deserved to buy the last of the sweet fruits in the farmer's market. They were nose to nose, glaring at each other, wanting nothing more than to hit the other.

Being a queen that promoted peace, and dreaded anything to do with violence, I took it upon myself to step in and calm the two of them down. I divided the fruits equally among them, and they went about their merry ways. There wasn't anymore conflicts or bickering after that.

But I had never seen an angry species of the horned-demon's sort before. There was no way I would have been able to calm him down. He wasn't like the bickering men in Theed. He couldn't be talked to in a soothing voice, and reasoned with like civil people.

He wasn't quite a person himself.

He was other-worldly.

And as I now sit in a small corner of the escape pod before him, shivering uncontrollably, he sits across from me in a shiny metallic chair, resting his head on one of his fists, and tapping on the chairs armrest impatiently with his other.

To say he looks annoyed would be an under statement. He looks_ infuriated._

And although I can't blame him, I did accidentally destroy his ship, but I believe it is _me _who should be mad.

I'm the one who he captured in the first place. The one he snatched away from their planet. The one he locked away in a smouldering hot room, and then left for dead in the ship's air vents. The one he pushed across a room, and then grabbed by the arm and dragged into an escape pod.

I should be the one who is blowing off steam. Not him.

But for some reason I can't find it in myself to be mad. At least not for too long, anyway. I'm far more concerned for what's to become of me.

What does he need me for? Why was I taken in the first place?

I wonder if Panaka is concerned for my whereabouts.

Is he searching for me? Is the whole palace in an uproar, running down halls and screaming my name?

Or is he enjoying my sudden absence? Hoping the people will forget about me and try to elect a new queen?

These thoughts weigh on my mind like a heavy rock. Pulling me down until I sink to the floor in a crumpled heap.

The tiny space pod exhibits some slight turbulence, causing me to jerk back and forth a little uneasily. But the red tattooed creature before me shows_ no _signs of unease whatsoever. He just stays in his place, staring back at me unamused. This mustn't be the first time he's experienced something like this.

* * *

When we land, I finally find my will to speak.

I had not uttered a single word to him yet, but I figured that now would be the best time, if any, to say something.

He's sifting through one of the pod's compartments, in search of something, when I ask him the one question that's been burning in my mind since this whole ordeal started; _what does he want with me?_

He momentarily freezes in place, no doubt shocked to hear me speak, and slowly shifts his head towards me.

I'm not quite sure what I had expected, or if he'd even understand what I had said at all (for all I knew, he didn't even speak my language), but he replied none-the-less, in a low, hushed tone.

"It is not what _I_ want with you, it is what someone else wants." He says flatly, pulling a long black cloak out of one of the compartments and tossing it in my direction.

I pause, momentarily fazed, and blink several times.

I hold up the cloak and look it over.

It is long enough to cover my whole body, and thick enough to hold in heat. Although the material itself is rather rough.

I stare at it quizzically.

Had he noticed my shivering from before? Or did he pity the fact that I had been stripped of my royal robes?

"Put it on." He commands me, crossing his arms.

He doesn't have to tell me twice. I immediately pull the long cloak over my body, and allow its rough material to scratch against my skin, and begin encasing me with warmth.

I put my arms around myself and run my hands up and down my shoulders to quicken the process.

He puts a hand on his chin in thought, and somehow manages to pace back and forth in the small space between us.

I look up at him uncomfortably.

He just ignores me.

After several minutes of deep thought, he stops in his place.

He puts his hand in one of his cloak's pockets, and pulls out a thin, silver band.

He then pries the band open, and motions for me to give him my hand.

I reluctantly do so, fearful of harm.

"What is that?" I ask timidly.

He ignores me, puts the band around my right wrist, and clicks it shut.

"What is it?" I ask, a hint of concern in my voice.

He looks down at me, annoyed.

"An object." he says dismissively.

"What kind of object?" I dare to inquire.

He glares at me.

I realize now that I shouldn't have asked.

I can tell he's holding back.

He's holding back from_ hitting me_.

He exhales deeply, trying his best to get a hold of himself.

"A kind of object that will _kill_ you if you stray less than a mile away from me," he says, gritting his teeth.

I wince.

That means there is absolutely no chance for my escape now, at least no chance for my escape without him. I'll have to rely on Panaka and the royal guards to rescue me. I pray they won't let me down.

He backs away from me and pulls up his hood.

Then he presses some buttons on the doors keypad, and beckons for me to follow him.

I nod and get up from my spot, pulling my cloak around me protectively.

The door opens before us.

He nudges me to step out first.

I do.

The first thing I notice is the dust. Dust, and blinding heat from the two suns overhead. There is no vegetation to speak of, only rocks. The rocks form deep canyons, which rise around me.

"Where are we?" ask, letting curiosity get the better of me.

He steps out from behind me, and begins leading the way.

"Tatooine." He mutters.

* * *

I follow him through the long stretch of desert, absentmindedly wondering who in their mind would choose to live on such a planet.

I get my answer when we reach Mos Espa: criminals and renegades.

Strange creatures from all over the galaxies sit in the cafes lining the streets, gambling and shouting. The noise, combined with the heat, make me feel dazed. The streets are narrow and crammed with braying banthas and various other life-forms. None of which, I should add, I have any inclination to get to know better.

Although my captor doesn't seem to like large crowds, he also doesn't seem terrified like I do. Without taking so much as a second glance at me, he seems to sense my distress, and tells me to stay close.

Despite the fact that I am scared of him, I am far more scared of all the cut-throats and thieves I am surrounded by. So I stick close to him, practically walking on his heels.

He doesn't seem to mind.

So as long as I don't bump into him, anyway.

Although I am nervous on this strange planet, I am also interested. I haven't seen many worlds away from my own. And this one is so different. Noisy, dusty, dangerous-it is all those things.

But it is also crammed full of life.

"The few spaceports like this one are full of creatures who don't want to be found," he says over his shoulder.

"Like us?" I ask.

He waits a while before replying.

"I suppose." He says looking at me briefly, his eyes returning to sweeping the streets.

I pray that I will remain safe wherever he may be taking me.


	8. The Tatooine Sand

**A/N Hmm, seems like there was something I was supposed to do today...What was it? Oh, I know! Update my story! Haha...heh...mm.**

**...**

**Not funny? **

**Ok, well just read then... **

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

(Darth Maul's POV)

I turn off my com-link for the first time.

I don't want my Master to contact me anytime soon.

I don't want to hear the disappointment in his voice when I tell him what happened to the ship. Or suffer the harsh scolding I'll receive when he discovers such information.

I have failed to keep the ship intact. All because I underestimated a young girl.

I have lost my speeder, probes, and countless other objects due to the self-destruct mechanism of the ship.

Who would've thought that the slightest push of a button would be the difference between being in one piece, and being in millions?

This whole mission is going from bad to worse.

I should've foreseen this.

I should've known this wouldn't be easy. If it was, then Master wouldn't have specifically told _me_ to take this mission. It has to be a challenge, or there would be no point of doing it in the first place. Us Sith are very skilled individuals, we can work our ways out of situations just as quickly as we can get in them.

This is just a minor setback. If even that.

Really, she's made it quite easy for me.

All I need to do is acquire a ship, and send that little queen to my Master.

Then all will be well.

Right now, the both of us are trudging through Mos Espa, looking for a shop that will supply us with our needs.

So far it's not looking so good.

Every shop around here is nothing but shady, shabby, and junk-ridden.

They may have plenty of parts, but none of them have fully operational ships.

Nothing worthy of anything to me.

Just scraps.

The girl stays close behind me.

It's no surprise, I had expected her to be fearful of this planet. Not to mention the fact that I had told her the bracelet I put around her wrist would kill her if she strayed too far away. And like a typical ignorant girl, she believed me.

What a fool.

It was a lie. The metal ring I put around her wrist is no more harmful to her than the Tatooine sand that sucks at my boots is to me.

As a matter of fact the sand-

Wait.

I take a quick glance back at her from over my shoulder, and examine her feet from under the cloak I gave her.

Huh.

It's just as I thought.

She doesn't have any shoes...

I bet her feet are _burning._

The two suns above is enough heat to handle already, but having that heat packed in the sand and scratching against her feet is probably unbearable. I'm surprised the little queen hasn't complained about it yet. It must be an awful feeling.

Though I have no reason to care for her well-being.

So why do I?

I stop dead in my tracks, inwardly sighing to myself. I must take care of this matter immediately.

I tell her to stay put, and that I'll be no more than a few yards away from her.

She nods once in understanding, but remains silent.

I walk up to the first dealer I see that has a pair of suitable footwear out on their table.

I offer to buy the shoes with credits.

The dealer refuses, he says credits are useless on this planet.

I should've known better.

The Republic doesn't exist out here. They have no use for currency such as _credits._

Fortunately, I have prepared for times like this, therefore I carry many small items on my person for which I am willing to trade for other needed items. And I suppose, that an item such as footwear is much needed. At least for the girl anyway.

She'll thank me later, no doubt.

I put my hand in one of my cloak's pockets and rummaged through it until I find an item worthy of trading.

I offer the dealer an emerald gem for the footwear.

He quickly accepts the trade.

Although the gem is very valuable, and probably eye-catching to many, it means absolutely nothing to me.

I'm not one for feasting my eyes among meaningless items such as that.

Besides, I have several other gems just like it.

I had taken them from the dead body of a space pirate many rotations ago. I figured they'd come in handy sometime soon.

I hold up the shoes and look them over.

They're just plain, strappy sandals with a thin sole. Probably just good enough of a barrier to deflect the sand's heat.

They're not the best thing to wear when out in the Tatooine desert, but they'll have to do.

I walk back over to the girl.

She stares back at me with confusion on her face.

"Take it," I tell her, shoving the sandals in her hands.

She blinks rapidly several times.

I cross my arms and wait for her to put them on.

She looks at me once more before bending down to her bare feet to put them on.

I tilt my head to the side, and watch her.

She takes her time lacing the straps up her legs. Winding them slowly around her calves, and stringing them along like ribbons, allowing them to slide through her tiny finger tips as she moves.

I find myself staring at her hands.

They look delicate and soft.

She obviously hasn't done much hard work with them.

One loop under, one loop over.

She's done.

She ties off the ends of each string, and pushes herself up to a standing position.

"Thank you..." She says quietly.

Her brown eyes look into my yellow ones.

Their is no fear in them now.

But there is respect.

And I gratefully accept it.

* * *

**A/N Yeah, it wasn't until I started writing this chapter that I realized that Padme didn't have any shoes on. I had completely forgotten that she'd taken her shoes off when she went crawling through the vents in the previous chapters. ^^;**

**So, yeah. I just felt like I should at least mention that, or something...**


	9. Seeking Refuge

**A/N I want to thank Hello/Guest for reviewing! I really enjoyed reading your kind words and encouragement, it was very appreciated! **

**As far as your inquiries, Padme, as I mentioned earlier in the story I think, is a few days shy of 15. The reason being is because I wanted to make my story as accurate to the movie as possible, and I really liked the thought of having someone as young as her being able to rule a planet. **

**Maul is supposed to be somewhere around the age of 21 in my story, though I personally don't mind the age-difference between them (Padme_ was_ 5 years older than Anikan in the movies, so I didn't find this any more odd than that).  
**

**I got the cover picture for my story from someone on . I put a link to the original pic and their profile on my profile page. So check it out if you'd like, they have some pretty neat stuff.**

**Also, thank you for finding my writing humorous, I thought that I had failed miserably at conveying such a thing. XD **

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

(Padme's POV)

We've been walking for hours.

Checking shop after shop, weaving in and out of the street traffic, and being occasionally blinded by the two suns overhead.

And it hasn't gotten us anywhere.

We still haven't found a ship.

Just battered bits and pieces of other ships.

It seems like no one on Tatooine is willing to sell a fully-functional ship.

My feet are starting to hurt.

But at least they are not burning like they were before.

And for that I am thankful.

I did not think that a creature like him was even capable of showing kindness.

But he's proved me wrong.

I observe him as I walk.

His footing is sure, like he already knows exactly where he's going, and where he's supposed to be. His posture screams that he's confident in himself, perhaps too confident. And his eyes appear to be alert, and ready for anything.

Though he isn't looking at me, I get the strange feeling that he can see me even when his eyes are focused on something far ahead of him.

It's like his eyes see everything that is around him, whether it may be in front, or behind him.

It makes me feel slightly uneasy.

I find myself staring at the intricate designs and markings that are layered on his skin. Taking in every detail.

I absentmindedly wonder if is he black with red markings, or red with black markings.

He quickly comes to a halt as his feet stop in their tracks.

I look over at him quizzically.

_What is it now?_

He closes his eyes for a brief minute, and inhales deeply, almost like an animal would if they had picked up some sort of scent.

When he opens his eyes, they lock onto mine.

"There's a storm coming," he says in a low voice. "we need to head back."

He turns himself around in the other direction, and continues walking.

"A _storm?_" I ask disbelievingly, taking a quick look around.

Only now do I notice the closing shops, and scattering people.

"We can't go back," I say, trying to keep up with his pace, "it's too far."

He ignores me and continues walking.

The wind suddenly picks up.

The abruptness and ferocity of it surprises me.

Dust flies in my eyes, making them sting.

I didn't know how fierce sandstorms could be on Tatooine.

The force of the wind picks up, driving the sand against our clothes and skin. I can't see the street behind us, or what is ahead. Everything is a blur.

I draw my hood up around me and cover my mouth. I am choking on dust and sand.

I close my eyes to near slits. I have never felt such driving wind before.

The storm blots out the two suns and turns the air into a stinging force.

To my surprise, he grabs hold of my hand with his gloved one, and holds it firmly. Leading me through the howling storm.

We try in vain to reach the escape pod in time.

And after walking for a while, we decide to wait out the storm in a near-by cave.

I sit down with my back against one of the hard walls, and try to catch my breath.

He sits against the wall opposite of me, staring back at me with no expression.

I can't tell if he's angry, frustrated, or annoyed. Or if he just looks like that on a day-to-day basis. But he appears to be in a far more calm mood than I am.

I am frightened. Never before have I had to endure a storm like this one.

I wasn't aware of weather being this harsh.

Is it always like this on Tatooine, I wonder? Do they only have a few hours of peace before the storms lets loose and scatters about all the million specks of sand?

How long will it take for the storm to pass? A few _minutes?_ A few_ hours_?

Or will it rage on like this for a while, possibly even days?

A cold draft of wind rushes through the cave.

I wrap my cloak around myself, and shiver violently.

This planet is so strange.

Hot one minute, and then cold the next.

Apparently my shivering did not go unnoticed by him, because he removes his own cloak, and drapes it over me without a word.

I look up at him, embarrassed.

I don't want him to treat me like a child, nor do I want him or anyone else to see me as one.

The sound of the wind begins to die down, although the storm continues to rage on.

I choose this awkward moment of quietness to speak.

I figure that now is as good a time as any to get to know a little more about my captor.

I start the conversation off with a simple question.

"What's your name?" I ask.

He gives me a strange look, and waits a moment before replying. As if he's unsure whether or not he should disclose such information.

"Maul." He says finally.

"Maul?" I ask, repeating him.

He nods silently.

Out of all the strange names I had running through my head, _Maul_ was not one of them. Although I guess that it is as good a name for him as any, he looks like a savage creature who would do _just that_ to any weak being. _Maul them_, like an animal.

I try to shake the thought out of my head.

"I am Padme," I say nervously. "In case you didn't already know,"

An awkward silence follows.

I try my best to get the conversation to roll again, though I don't know why.

"I'm not used to this kind of weather on my home planet," I say, trying to change the subject. "Naboo doesn't have such abrupt weather patterns."

He tilts his head and looks at me curiously.

I can't tell if he's thinking about what I said, or if his mind is somewhere else completely.

Either way, I feel the sudden need to avoid his gaze.

"Which planet _do you_ come from?" I inquire, staring at one of the cave walls.

Out of the corner of my eye, I still see him watching me. Turning his head this way and that. Observing my every movement, like a predator would do to its prey.

"I am told I come from the planet Iridonia." He replies, turning his head to get a better look at my face.

I look at him quizzically.

_He's told?_ What does that mean?

"Is it warm there?" I ask, tracing my finger along the edge of my cloak's fabric.

"I don't know," He says quietly, turning his head away from me. "I can't remember."

I stare down at the cave's sand-covered floor.

Oddly enough, I feel the slightest bit of pity for him in my heart.

It must be terrible not knowing where you came from. For all I know, he's not even aware of what species he is. He may not know of any others like himself. And I for one, have never seen any one of his kind before. He must feel lonely from time to time.

A long silence follows.

And in that silence, I realize that the storm has finally stopped.

I lean to my side and peer out of the cave.

The weather certainly seems well enough to brave.

But I wait for him to make a move first.

All of the sudden, I hear a loud, deafening screechy noise. Almost like that of a yell, or cry.

I leap to my feet in a second. Draping his cloak over one of my arms.

Maul doesn't bother getting up.

"Didn't you hear that?" I ask urgently.

He he looks up at me, annoyed.

"It's nothing," He says dismissively.

"No," I say confidently, walking towards the cave's opening. "I_ heard_ it."

_"Don't_." He warns me.

I hear another loud screech.

And due to my burning curiosity, I am unable to stop myself.

* * *

**A/N My apologies for any typos, I didn't have much time to proof-read it. Please tell me if there are any.**


	10. Efficient

**A/N Hello/Guest, thank you very much for reviewing again! It is greatly appreciated. :)  
**

**As far as addressing your new inquiries, like I said before, I plan on keeping Padme's age the same as I said it was. BUT, I don't plan on adding too much romance until much later chapters, so you don't have to worry about that if you feel uncomfortable with the age-difference between her and Maul.**

**And yes, Padme was brave to ask Maul questions about himself (I mean seriously, who asks a personal question to someone who looks like they want to take your head off? XD), but to tell you the truth, I myself am so inquisitive when it comes to people that I probably would've been so tempted that I'd have to ask too. **

**As for what Sidious wants with Padme? IT'S TOP SECRET! :D  
**

**I Can't tell you yet, it's a surprise! Haha!  
**

**...Actually...to tell you the truth, I'm still trying to think of a reason for it. :'(**

**I already have several different ideas I'm going through in my head, but if you or anyone else has any good ideas, let me know** **because I'd love to read your input. ;)**

**WARNING: This chapter contains violence. Though it's not really graphic, I don't wish to scare anyone, so if you are sensitive to descriptions of pain and/or slight gore (even those as brief and watered down as the ones typed here), you may want to scroll past those parts. **

**ALSO: I am very sorry for missing several updates. I had not intended for that to happen. From now on, I plan on posting in 'stacks', meaning that I'll only post new chapters when I have at least TWO or MORE ready at a time. Hopefully it will work out better this way. ** **:/**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

_**Chapter 10: Efficient ~**_

(Darth Maul's POV)

She didn't listen to me.

Didn't take _heed_ to my warning.

She bolted out of the cave, searching for the source of the obnoxiously loud screeching sound.

I jump to my feet and sprint after her. Though I can usually sense a creature's next move, I actually find it hard to predict what this girl will do next. There's so much going on in her little head, that it is a little taxing to keep track of everything at once. I had not expected her to be such a problem.

I know what that sound is, if I am not mistaken.

I follow her through the soft sand.

She manages to make her way around the cave and into the rest of the canyon. The sheer cliff walls tower over us, and create long, blue shadows.

My eyes cautiously scan the canyon overhead.

It's empty.

All I can see is the wide sky.

The wind sweeps through the canyon, sending sand pattering against my clothes.

The girl stops dead in her tracks, only a few feet ahead of me.

"There's nothing here..." She says, disappointed.

There is an unsettling silence.

Something is wrong.

If I were not a Sith Lord, but an ordinary being, I would feel trapped.

But I am _not_ trapped.

Am I meant to be?

Suddenly, a riderless bantha lurches into sight around a canyon wall.

The young queen clings to my arm in fright, completely ignoring the fact that I could shove her away if I wanted to.

But I don't. Although I'm not fond of physical contact in the least (unless it involves tearing a creature's head off), I don't mind letting her soft, slender finger tips grip my arm.

My concentration is broken for only a mere second. And in that second, a Tusken Raider takes shape from a shadow under the cliff, and races towards us, brandishing his gaderfii stick.

Tuskan Raiders are aggressive, fierce attackers. Well adapted to the desert, they wear sand-colored robes, breath masks, and eye protectors. Locals call them Sand People. Their weapon of choice, the gaderfii, is double-ended like my lightsaber, and glints with metal sharpened to a lethal edge. The local people fear them. They merely bore me.

I activate one end of my lightsaber, waiting for the Raider to reach me.

The girl hides behind me.

I am almost weary at the prospect of this battle. Really, if one has to fight, it's more interesting to have a challenge.

He rushes at me, all aggression without finesse, honking an odd battle cry. With one deft stroke, I cut his gaderfii in two. The tiresome creature roars and shakes the half that is left.

He charges me again.

Instead of attacking, I follow his every move with my lightsaber, and block it.

I can tell which way he will move before he even strikes. He tips it off in so many feeble ways- -by his balance, the position of his shoulders, his posture.

He roars even louder in frustration at my game.

It is time to finish this.

But as I gather myself for a combination move that will strike him down, several other Sand People suddenly appear out of nowhere.

They spill out from behind dunes, and underneath sand, from what appear to be mere cracks in the cliff face.

It is then that I recall another thing about the Sand People: they travel in single file to hide their numbers.

There are now at least thirty of them.

All heading towards us.

The Sand People advance on us angrily. In their breath masks and goggles they are protected from the sand that now stings my eyes and clogs my mouth.

The howling intensifies.

The Raiders shake their gaderfii and begin to surround us.

I protectively push the the girl further behind me, and command her to stay put.

As long as she doesn't get in the way, I can take them out quickly.

Frustration boils inside me. All these interruptions are deflecting me from my mission.

One fierce Raider is the first to come at me, racing forward with his stick held high.

I elbow him in the head, and stab him in the chest with my saber. He staggers backwards and falls hard on the ground, spraying sand everywhere. This gratifies me, but it does not please his companions.

Another Raider comes forth to take his place, and lunges at me with his gaderfii stick.

I dodge his attack easily, and take off his head with one slice of my lightsaber.

It falls to the ground with a 'thud'.

The other Sand People try closing in from all sides all at once.

I push the girl even further behind me, causing us to be backed into one of the canyon's walls.

We are_ not_ trapped. A Sith is _never_ trapped.

I can get us out of this, I've been in worse situations.

I spring forward on my right foot, and begin ferociously attacking them.

Using my anger as fuel for my internal fire, I begin cutting them into ribbons.

Watching as each creature falls limply to the ground.

My lightsaber is a blur of light and motion.

One after another, they are dismembered and dismantled.

But even with as quick and efficient as I am, one of them manages to sneak up beside me, and kick sand into my eyes.

Momentarily blinded, I lose my focus.

I am in the middle of a vertical sweep when he grunts, rolls, and comes up on my other side.

I jump away from his attack, but the gaderfii catches me on the leg.

I feel the blade slice into my torn flesh.

The pain shoots through me like a syringe, but I bare my teeth at him in contempt.

I cannot let my enemy see me hurt.

Master would never allow it.

My rage is a torrent, burning river. I leap, and twist, keeping my weight on my good leg.

My lightsaber is part of my body now; merciless, hard, cruel.

I dance around him, slicing his arms, chest, shoulders. I want a thousand cuts to kill him.

He falls face down without a cry.

I pant heavily.

That was the last of them.

Beads of sweat roll down my forehead, and I swipe them off with the back of my sleeve.

I stare at the bodies before me, reveling in their defeat.

The girl peeks over my shoulder, and slowly comes out from behind me.

She looks down at the bodies and their scattered parts with a horrified expression.

The anger quickly drains from me when my eyes meet her hurt ones.

"Why did you do that?" She asks, voice cracking.

I stare back at her, baffled.

Hadn't she seen what they were doing? Didn't she know what their intentions were?

"They were going to kill us." I say matter-of-factly.

"I know that!" She says, raising her voice and swiping the air with one of her hands.

I blink once in surprise.

I guess even queen's are subject to outbursts.

"But you didn't have to kill them," She cries. "at least, not like that..." She trails off.

She wraps her arms around herself, and stares at the ground.

I tilt my head and look at her.

"What do you mean 'like that'?" I ask curiously.

I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I simply did what I always do when faced with enemies of great numbers; I killed them.

She lifts her head up to face me, her eyes sparkling with tears.

"Like what you did." she chokes. "You could've taken them out painlessly, I _know_ you could have. But instead you chose to toy with them, and slowly pick them apart,_ piece _by_ piece_."

I keep my eyes on her as she takes a step closer to me.

"And for what?" She asks, "Some _sick_, inner rage?"

Though I've never felt guilty of killing another creature before (and still don't actually), I kind of feel like I should feel guilty.

But for what reason? I'm not sure.

Like usual, I feel a deep satisfaction for being able to wipe out as many of them as I did. I don't feel remorse for any of my actions. _I_ was never in the wrong. They were just unfortunate beings who happened to come across a more experienced fighter. It wasn't like I intentionally sought them out to kill them.

_This time, anyway._

I don't understand why a human would feel so passionate about treating other species with some form of respect. It doesn't make any sense.

_Some_ species kill others, it's just what we do.

It's the natural order of things. Without beings like me, there would be no order.

I side-step her figure, and begin walking away.

Pain shoots through my leg with every step, but I choose to ignore it.

To show pain is to show weakness.

And I am not weak. Therefore, I shall not show any pain.

"You may think I am evil," I say, stepping in between two bodies on the ground. "I am not."

I look over my shoulder to face her.

"I am efficient."

* * *

**A/N I am completely lost when it comes to writing action/fighting scenes, so I relied heavily on the Star Wars books when it came to the battle with the Tusken Raiders. So don't be surprised if you recognize some of the words from the books. I really had no idea what I was doing. ^^;**

**I hope I didn't scare anyone with the "warning" in the first author's note. XD I just wanted to make sure that all of those following this story for mainly the romance weren't alarmed by some of the violence in this story. Though it is _Star Wars_, so what can you expect, right? **

**If you think that the warning is unnecessary, please PM me and let me know.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There are many more to come! ;) **


	11. Weakness

**A/N I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner, but this past month has been really hectic and troublsome. No need to worry about it now, though. Because I'm pretty positive that the worst is already over with, and it will be smooth sailing from now on. :)**

**I want to thank**** all of you ****for reviewing. If it wasn't for you amazing people, it would've been a while before I got back to this. So thank you so much!**

**It means a lot to me. **

**Hello; Thank you for your input! I enjoyed reading your ideas.**

**Foxface46: Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement!**

**Millenium Ring: I'm happy to hear that you enjoy this story! I really like your icon picture. **

**RJ: Here's the update you asked for. I hope you like it just as much as the last chapters.**

**Celgress: I'm overjoyed to hear that you find this story refreshing! I hope you'll stick around for a while. **

**ThatOneGuy: I'd like to point out that 1) You're awesome for reviewing, And 2) I've read somewhere before that Maul is red with black tattoos as well, but I personally see him as black with red tattoos (I mean, seriously, who gets tattoos that completely cover their ears?). And you didn't offend me by the way, so no worries. ;) As for concerning the updates for my story, I will try my best to make them as quick as possible. **

**Star Lrd: No need to be concerned, I will NEVER lose interest in this story. Trust me, I am an extreme Maulidala shipper. XD As for the rating, I have changed it to T, as you may have noticed. Thank you for pointing that out to me, I had completely forgotten that I gave this a K+ rating. As for Padme's 'ability' to sense when Maul is around, it's kind of like a 'connection' or 'sixth sense' if you will, that she has to Maul. Although that detail is not too important (until later chapters, that is), I felt like it added a little more to the story. As for Maul's 'interest' in Padme's scent, I noticed that in several Star Wars books that Maul doesn't seem to care too much about details concerning other people, so I figured that the fact that he did care about details when it concerned Padme would kind of allude to his liking her. Keeping Maul in character has always been my top priority, and I'm happy to read that thus far, I have been doing a good job of it. So thank you!  
**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

_**Chapter 11: Weakness**_

(Padme's POV) _Location - Escape Pod_

I gasp as Maul rolls up his pant-leg, to reveal a long, deep cut that runs from his ankle to his knee.

Red blood oozes out of his torn flesh, and the skin surrounding it is swollen.

I'm instantly sick at the sight of it.

Although I have seen my fair share of cuts and bruises, never before have I seen a wound as ghastly as his.

Beads of sweat coat his forehead, and he closes his eyes in thought.

When his eyes reopen, he leans out of his chair to open one of the Pod's compartments.

He pulls out a small rectangular container, which he then sets on the control panel next to him.

I observe closely as he begins emptying the container of its contents.

He pulls out a long wrap of gauze bandages, several balls of cotton, and a small jar of bacta.

He carefully removes the lid to the bacta jar, and then sets it aside.

He takes one of the cotton balls, and dabs it into the bacta jar.

Propping his leg up on the cubicle across from him, he commences applying bacta to the wound.

He first dabs along the edges of the cut, then slowly works his way to the center, where it's more tender.

I am amazed at how he manages not to flinch, considering the amount of pain he must be in.

If it were me, I'd be howling.

After a while of watching him work, I decide to lend a hand.

So I pick up the gauze off the control panel, and attempt to wrap it around his leg.

But before my hand can even reach his leg, his arm jolts out in front of me and grabs my lower forearm, stilling my movements completely.

I wince as pain shoots through my wrist.

His brows knit together in confusion, and he looks at me, alarmed.

"I-I want to help." I say, turning my head away in fear and embarrassment.

He stares at me a moment before softening his grip on my arm.

His eyes scan my face, as if to confirm my intentions.

Then he nods once in understanding.

I can't find the courage to look at him, so I stare at the floor with my cheeks flushed.

He slowly releases his grip on my arm, and then finally lets go.

I exhale deeply, releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I gently massage my hurt wrist.

"I'm just going to wrap this around your leg, okay?" I say, holding up the gauze with my good hand.

He crosses his arms and nods for me to proceed.

I begin unraveling the long strip of gauze in my hands.

I then gently wind it around his leg in slow motions, being careful not to aggravate his wound any further.

I know I need to wrap the wound tight, but at the same time I don't want to hurt him.

I glance over at his face every now and then, and check to see my progress.

I figure he'd twitch or flinch if it started to hurt.

Although he hasn't given any indications of distress yet, so I can only assume he has a high tolerance to pain.

And I'd expect no less from a brute like him.

He appears to be the same on the inside as he is on the outside.

Tough.

Unbreakable.

Hard.

Like a stone, or emerald.

I am not unbreakable.

I am fragile.

Ceramic.

I may have strength, but I also have many weaknesses.

I can break into millions of pieces if served the right blow.

That's one thing that makes us so different from each other.

But I bleed red.

And so does he.

That's one thing that makes us the same.

Maul stares at me as I work.

The light streaming in through the Pod's entrance reflects off his yellow eyes.

Giving them a certain glint that I find unnerving.

I blink rapidly as my eyes shy away from his, trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

I absentmindedly wonder if he thinks of my helping as a nuisance.

No doubt he's never received help from anyone before.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted the way he did when I had tried to give it to him.

Despite my best efforts, I end up wrapping one piece of gauze too tightly, causing my fingers to press against his wound.

Maul shifts in his chair uncomfortably, but remains silent.

Acting as if it never happened.

"Why don't you show any pain?" I ask concernedly, winding another strip of gauze around his leg. "Doesn't it hurt?"

He tilts his head to one side, and looks at me curiously.

"To show pain," He says slowly, turning his head away. "Is to show weakness."

"What's wrong with weakness?" I inquire softly, tearing a piece of gauze in half and tying it off.

"It will leave you vulnerable..." He says quietly.

Now it is my turn to stare at him.

His eyes avoid mine, too embarrassed to admit his own vulnerability.

A smile tugs at the corners of my lips.

I suppose even the toughest of creatures can have a weak spot.

* * *

**A/N I apologize for the short chapter, but I didn't want to keep all of you waiting, so I typed typed this up as quickly as I could. I may come back and re-write a few things later, but for now this is what I have. Do not fret though, there will be many other chapters to come. ;)**

**I might be posting a MaulxPadme one-shot as well, if anyone is interested. So please PM me or let me know in a review! ;) **


	12. Observations

**A/N I want to thank you all so much for taking your good time to read and review my story. It really does mean a lot to me! :')**

**I deeply apologize for the extremely late update, but please, let me explain.**

**Because you've all been so kind and loyal, I wanted to repay you by typing up the remaining chapters to complete this story. Therefore, I devoted the past month (or so) to completing it for you. **

**Sadly, all the chapters that I had typed are gone. ('_')**

**Due to my** **_lame_ laptop suddenly deciding to crash on me for no apparent reason! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻**

**However, I did back up all my files (including the story chapters) on a USB drive, just in case any data loss would ever occur (because it's a terrible fear of mine to lose data). ****The only problem is...I lost the USB drive, haha... ^^;**

**So now all I have to do is locate it! Yay! :D**

**Right? (^_^;)  
**

**Anyone...? ( ﾟヮﾟ) **

**No?** **ಠ_ಠ**

**Okay, moving on. (-_-)  
**

**Anyway, the good news is, out of all the darn files for my laptop to save, this next chapter just so happened to be one of them, so hopefully you'll enjoy reading it. **

**Meanwhile, I'll continue shamefully searching for that darn USB drive. :/  
**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Observations**

(Darth Maul's POV)

My hand instinctively jerks out in front of me, and grabs hold of her arm.

I stare back at the young queen in front of me, confused.

She immediately turns her head away from me.

I tilt my head and stare at her.

"I-I wanted to help." she says quickly, refusing to make eye-contact with me.

My brows knit together in thought.

_Help_?

The strange word echoes in my mind.

Master had once told me that help was for the weak.

The worthless.

The cowards.

The fools.

'Help' was the word many of my victims would scream, right before I struck them with the final blow.

It was the word that would resound off of walls as I plunged my lightsaber through their hearts.

In what galaxy would a weak being like herself, think that I, of all creatures, would require any form of help?

I am obviouosly perfectly capable of thriving on my own.

So what would make her offer such a useless gesture?

Does she feel pity for me?

Does it make her sick to see a monster like me injured?

I ponder these thoughts in my mind as I nod for her to proceed bandaging my wound.

If she intends to 'help' me, for whatever reason, be it out of pity, her own bleeding heart, or some sort of sickening trick, I suppose it wouldn't hurt if she thought that for now, I trusted her.

She wraps up several strips of gauze around her hand, and begins dressing my wound.

Her hands feel gentle against the skin of my leg.

The feeling is foreign.

Strange.

The last time that I can remember a person's arms being this close to me, I was being ruthlessly beaten by my Master.

He had caught me with my guard down when we were training. And thought it would be best to teach me a lesson early on.

Being only a youngling at the time, I was a worthless fool.

Practically waiting for trouble to find me one way or another.

It makes me physically sick to think of how pathetic and naive I was at that tender age.

In all truth, Master finding me and taking me in was a true act of kindness and pity in and of itself.

Even now, with as strong and well-trained as I have become, I am not worthy of his teachings.

Especially now, when he is depending on me to complete this one mission, that will either prove or fail to prove my worth to him.

Everything depends on this mission.

And so far, I have proven myself to be inefficient.

Master, if you can hear me, I will not fail you.

I _shall _prevail.

I _will _prove to you my worthiness.

I sit motionless as she continues bandaging my leg.

Waiting out the pain until it becomes not pain, but desire.

I begin using the pain to my advantage.

I pull the darkness around me like a hooded cloak, and surround myself with anger.

I feel myself begin to heal.

She glances over at me once or twice, but tries her hardest to keep her attention on my leg.

This mission isn't over yet.

_Not quite._

* * *

As the night drags on, exhaustion from my battle with the pain settles into my bones.

I dress my wound again with bacta and bandages and sit on the chair with my head propped up by my fist.

I stare at the young Queen laying on the floor across from me.

She is curled up in a small ball, using her long cloak as a blanket.

Most of her brown hair falls behind her back, but a few strands lie across her face.

Her eye-lids are closed, but I know she is not sleeping.

I sense far more than a little brain activity going on in her head.

She's thinking.

Something devious.

I watch her chest rise and fall with each breath she takes. Then my eyes wander to shoulders and down her arms.

My eyes linger on her thin wrist, and only now do I truly realize how small and fragile she is.

Being only a human, her bones are so brittle and weak.

A creature like herself needs to be taken care of.

To be protected.

She's far too weak to be able to do that on her own. No matter how much she may think otherwise.

My eyes scan her facial features.

Her brows are dark and thin.

Her lips are tinted a slight pink-ish color.

And her face radiates an interesting tan-ish peach.

I myself am not sure what to think of her.

But I suppose for her species, she might be seen as beautiful.

I however, don't know, or care, about beauty.

It is confusing, angering.

It makes no sense to me.

The beauty of an object depends on the eye of the beholder.

So how can one know if another is beautiful?

Do they gaze at them from all angles, inspecting every inch of them until there is nothing left to inspect, and then determine for themselves whether or not the appearance of the other being pleases them?

Or do they just give the being one side-ways glance, and decide then?

And if and when they are finally able to conclude that the other is indeed quite beautiful, do they simply tell them of their beauty and expect them to believe them?

Or is the fact of this discovery to be kept a secret?

The subject of beauty has far too many questions and not enough answers.

Though as I stare at the young girl before me, I can't help but ask myself what it is I hope to gain by gazing at her.

What information do I expect to learn from her?

What am I inwardly doing as I continue to stare?

_No,_ I tell myself.

Nothing.

I expect nothing.

_This is nothing._

There is only one word for what I am doing at this momment.

Observing.

That is all...


	13. Second Attempt

**A/N Guess who found that pesky, missing USB drive? **

**Me! (^_^)/  
**

**It was hidden deep inside my laptop carrying case, just _waiting_ to be discovered. And now that I finally have it again, I can commence posting loads of chapters for all of you to binge read! :)**

**Wait...I typed that like that was a good thing...(awkward...)**

**Anyway, if you'd rather have me post one chapter at a time (like one a day, or once a week), just let me know and I'll do that instead. Otherwise, I'm just gonna post whenever, and at random. XD hope you don't mind. ^^;**

**So, for the time being, please read and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

_**Chapter 13: The Second Attempt**_

(Padme's POV)

My eyes flutter open.

Sitting straight across from me is Maul, who is fast asleep.

I had been waiting him out for what must have been an hour.

And only now has he caved in, allowing his needed rest to claim him.

I rise up slowly, trying my best to keep quiet.

I watch him for a few seconds before moving anymore.

His chest steadily rises and falls.

His breaths are loud and deep.

I didn't think that a creature like him could ever rest.

His body seems to always be in some kind of motion.

Although, I suppose even the meanest of beasts need their rest.

I wave my hand once in front of his face to confirm his inability to see me.

His eyes are closed and he doesn't move.

I cautiously begin crawling across the metal floor.

I don't want to take any chances.

When I reach the other side of the Pod, I pull myself up to my full height, and begin groping my way across the walls.

I begin searching all the available compartments in the ship. Searching for a weapon, and something that I could use to pry the silver death-bracelet off my wrist.

My hands sift blindly through a small metal box.

After a few minutes of searching, I find just the object to do the trick.

Although it's hard to see quite what it is due to the lack of light, I think it's like something of a crow-bar or other sharp metal part that would generally be used for something mechanical.

I turn the sharp metal rod around in my hands.

It's thick and heavy.

Just what I need.

I take the sharp metal object, and begin prying the bracelet from my arm.

Despite the force and weight that I apply to the object, the silver bracelet refuses to unlatch from my arm.

I glance over at Maul's sleeping figure several times, while I wrestle the metal with the rod and my hands.

I clench my teeth, and the metal band finally gives way.

I then begin peeling the band off piece by piece, anxiously prying and tearing at it, until I accidentally puncture my skin with the sharp rod in my haste.

Blood begins drizzling down my right arm, and I bite my lip to hold back from screaming.

I wince in pain as a few tears roll down my cheeks.

The silver band clatters to the ground, and I swallow a cry.

My eyes quickly shift over to where Maul sits.

I don't notice any movement, but I can't know for sure that he hadn't heard it.

If I plan on ever escaping, now would be my chance.

I press my hand on my wrist to stop the bleeding, and hastily look through the open canister on the dashboard to find the guaze.

I spot it not a moment later, and quickly snatch it off the dash with my left hand.

I wrap the gauze around my wrist quickly, and cut off the remaining amount of fabric with my teeth.

I then tie off the loose ends to complete my make-shift bandage.

Closing my eyes for the shortest of moments, I take a deep breath.

Now is the time to move.

Without a moments notice, I bolt out of the Pod's entrance, and stumble blindly through the sand.

The moon overhead is bright.

But not half as bright as Tattooine's two suns.

Not a second later, I hear the sound of footsteps trudging through the sand behind me.

My legs tense up, but I push myself to run.

Before I know it, the footsteps behind me are running as well.

And much faster than I am.

I push myself to go faster and faster, but it doesn't seem to be making any difference.

The next thing I know, I am tackled to the sand, and left screaming for my life.

His hand grabs the back of my neck, squeezes tight, and forces my head onto the ground.

Normally, I would scream. But due to his hard grip on my neck, I am scarcely able to manage a small yelp.

Tears stream down my face like a waterfall, and my mouth is filled with a bitter taste. Whether it's from my tears or the sand itself, I cannot tell.

All I know is that I want it to be over.

He bends down on his knees to lower himself to my level, and barks harshly into my ear.

"You will not run from me," He threatens. "because I _will_ find you."

His grip tightens on my neck, and I cry out in pain.

"Runaway again, and I will _kill you_." He bites out.

"I won't-I won't..." I choke out the words.

He removes his hand from my neck, and shoves me roughly against the ground.

I'm hardly able to catch my breath before his hand latches onto my arm, and he jerks me up off the ground. Dragging me back towards the Pod.

Upon entering, he shoves me to the floor.

"Did you think you could get away?" He taunts. "Did you think you could run?"

I am unsure whether or not he wants me to respond, but he stares me down for the longest moment, acting as if me not responding would recieve an even harsher punishment.

So I take a deep breath, sucking what little air I have left back into my lungs, and reply.

"No..." I sniffle, wrapping my arms around myself, and burying my face in my knees.

"But I thought I should try."

* * *

**A/N I know, I know! Pretty harsh! But don't worry everything will be better in the next few chapters. ;)**


	14. Reflections

**A/N Wait! Before you start reading, I'd to thank Guest, Celgress, sudooku, and Nikkette for reviewing. So, thank you. (^_^)/  
**

**It really means a lot! ****If it wasn't for all you guys, I wouldn't be posting chapter 14 right now. **

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

**_Reflections_**

(Darth Maul's POV)

Watching her cry in a corner of the Pod reminds me of what I endured through most of my youth.

Being pushed far past my limits, and being beaten on countless occasions for my inadequecy.

In any other case, I would enjoy seeing another creature suffer as I did.

But now, I feel the slightest bit of remorse for my actions.

And I don't know why.

I did nothing wrong.

Master would've wanted me to track her down and bring her back.

He wouldn't have wanted her to escape.

It wasn't like I was purposely treating her with any disrespect.

I would've done the same to any other creature.

It makes no sense for her to be upset about it.

After all, she is my prisoner.

But still, I get the strangest of feelings.

As if_ I_ have actually done something in error.

I get up from the chair that I sit upon, and walk over to her curled up body.

She sits on the floor with her arms holding her knees to her head, crying silently.

I bend down to her level, and tap her on the head to get her attention.

Her head shoots up immediately, alarmed.

Her cheeks are tear-stained and her eyes are red.

My eyes widen in curiosity, and I tilt my head to scan the rest of her face.

I had heard once from a creature on Mustafar that humans have salty tears, and I have always wondered if that were true.

Without a word, I reach out my hand and swipe her left cheek with my index finger.

Upon the tip of my finger is the droplet of a tear.

I slowly bring the clear liquid to my mouth, and lick it with my tongue.

That imbecile from Mustafar was right, it _does_ taste like salt.

The girl stares back at me, albeit a bit disturbed, and shifts her eyes in the other direction.

My eyes catch sight of the bandage on her arm.

It is soaked with blood.

Red blood.

The smell of it is already strong, but I inhale deeper and allow it to fill my lungs.

There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh human's blood.

Though I never really could place the scent before, it is all too obvious now.

It's _metallic,_ yet_ salty_.

Almost like one was filled with lead and metal parts, and then dragged through a body of sea water.

The smell of it makes me want to _kill_.

To _hunt_.

But I close my eyes and try to suppress the growing feeling.

When my eyes reopen she is facing me again.

I slowly reach out my hand, and open my palm.

She gives me a questioning look.

"Your arm." I explain.

She reluctantly puts her injured arm in my hand (no doubt afraid that I will cause her more pain).

"It isn't properly bandaged." I tell her.

She blinks once in confusion.

Why should I care whether or not her arm is properly bandaged?

I am not certain why, but I do.

Perhaps because I believe Master will punish me if she doesn't arrive back to him the same as she was.

Or perhaps I have gone_ soft_.

Like all the_ worthless_ Jedi in the galaxy.

Just the thought of the possibility makes me sick.

Either way, I proceed to finding her some bacta and more gauze.

I soon discover that there is just enough supplies for the bandage on her arm, and to re-bandage my leg.

"Why are you doing this?" She asks quietly.

"Doing what?" I reply back.

"Helping me..." She finishes looking down at her knees.

"I am only doing what is expected of me." I tell her irritably.

"What do you mean 'what's expected of you'?"

"To bring you back in one piece," I tell her. "If I'm so told."

"Who tells you?" She asks softly, her eyes looking innocently into mine.

I inwardly groan.

Though I will most certainly regret telling her this later, I figure that now, there is not much she can do with information as little as this.

"My Master."

* * *

A while after bandaging her wound (and a long drawn-out silence), I begin aimlessly looking around the ship. Searching for any further damage she could have caused the pod.

Despite the fact that the ship cannot even take flight in the first place, even if she hadn't managed to damage any part of it.

I begin sifting through some of the ship's compartments.

Be it out of utter boredom, or my terrible restlessness for being confined to such a small space, I'm not sure.

All I know, is that my limbs beg to be moved and used in some sort of way.

Otherwise I'll go mad just sitting about, with nothing to do but stare at the ship's walls.

My hands sift through the compartments briskly, finding a few miscellanous items here and there, and nothing truly useful just as before.

It isn't until I have grown completely tired of searching and re-searching, that I spot the shiny silver band on the cold metal floor.

I had forgotten she had taken it off.

I pick up the bent piece of metal and look it over.

It is mangled, and twisted.

The two ends that used to connect, are now so smashed and ruined, that one could scarcely put it on their wrist, let alone wrap it around it.

I absentmindedly run a finger across the only piece of smooth metal left.

Its sleek silver finish is cold.

I see the young queen staring at me from the corner of my eye.

Though I sensed her lingering stare long before I could see it.

"It wouldn't have hurt you." I say aloud.

"What?" She asks, perplexed.

"The bracelet," I clarify, effortlessly bending the metal band back into place. "it wouldn't have hurt you."

She stares at the newly-fixed band, and then back at me, bewildered.

She opens and closes her mouth a few times, but doesn't manage to speak.

Without a word, I take her right arm, and once again clamp the band onto her wrist.

I am not sure what she is thinking at this point.

I am not sure what she will say.

So I stop her before she can even start.

"Sleep." I command her, turning my head away.

"We shall need the rest, come daylight."

I am not certain what it is that I sense within the force, but something is most certainly amiss.

If only Master were here to tell me what it was.

* * *

The next morning we headed out again to the streets of Tattooine.

Still in search of a ship.

I noticed shortly on that Padme was in need of some kind of substance.

Her forehead was beaded with sweat.

Her feet were being dragged carelessly across the sand, and she quickly began falling behind.

Though I found myself having only the slightest of trouble.

I am used to not having regular meals.

Not used to being pampered like some creature that this galaxy would refer to as 'the upper-class'.

Master has had me fast for several days at a time, only allowing me substance if I can prove myself worthy of obtaining it.

Like _all_ creatures should be made to do.

Truthfully, I am surprised that the young queen has lasted even this long.

I had believed that a few days away from the palace would put her in her place.

Yet still, I decide it is about time that we consume something.

I spot an older woman with a fruit stand up ahead.

Which is really just a ragged, sun-bleached awning stretched over a frame of poles.

The lady at the fruit stand is old and bent, and has gray hair.

Her clothes are patched and ragged, but they appear to be clean.

Tattooine doesn't offer much, but they do have some interesting fruit.

I ask her for four pallies.

Pallies are sweet, juicy fruits grown at underground farms on Tattooine.

I myself have never tasted them, but I have read about them once before on a data pad during training.

And I am absolutely certain that Padme and I will like them.

If pallies aren't fit for a queen to eat, then what in the galaxy _is_?

I pay the older lady for the fruits, and hand two of them to Padme.

Despite her overwhelming hunger, she manages to eat both of the fruits slowly. Being careful not to drip any of the juice on her chin or clothes.

I nearly choke on one of my pallies in disgust.

_Blasted well-mannered human._

Finally managing to recover, I chomp into my second pallie, and gobble the whole fruit down within two bites.

The young queen crinkles her nose, and covers her mouth with the back of her hand (obviously appalled at my eating habits), and looks at me disapprovingly.

I can tell now that I will never be well-mannered enough for her standards, no matter how hard I try.


	15. The Deal

**A/N Thank you Celgress, Sudooku, Guest, Fellow-Sparrow, and magmaman for reviewing! I really enjoy reading your feedback. :D**

**This chapter is much more light-hearted, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. :)**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

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_**The Deal**_

(Padme's POV)

I'm not sure what to think of him now.

He shows me cruelty, and then kindness.

He howls and screams, then he lowers his voice to a whisper.

He threatens to kill me, then he bandages my wounds.

He burns me like Tattooine's two suns, yet his kindness extinguishes all the bad he dishes out.

He is the darkness and the light.

With a conscience, and without.

Caring, yet selfish.

Thoughtful, yet heartless.

Never before have I met someone as complicated as him.

Someone with so many different pieces and layers.

Even after all he has put me through, I can no longer see him as just some _savage animal_.

He has his own thoughts and logic.

He can show pity and remorse.

Though he is strong on the surface, I feel as if he is not truly in his core.

And that perhaps by some chance, he is just as uneasy about this whole capture as I am.

He had told me before that he was only following orders. So that must mean that there is a higher being at power.

Although even with the likeliness of him being a mercenary, it doesn't make sense that he would be able to wield a blade of light.

I saw him carve up those sand people.

I know what he can do with it.

I had always been told that only a Jedi could wield such a dangerous weapon.

They are taught to handle it with mindfulness and care. And never to use it for personal gain or evil-doing.

But if he himself is not a Jedi, then how did he acquire such a powerful weapon?

My thoughts slowly begin fizzling out as we stop in a small plaza.

A group of shabby junk dealers huddle around us.

A few of the larger shops make an attempt at being presentable. At least it looks as though you won't take your _life_ in your hands by walking through the door.

Maul points to a small, disreputable-looking shop.

We duck through the short doorway and find ourselves in a dusty, cluttered shop.

Scrap metal, circuits, speeder parts, droid parts, control panels, compressors, and tools cram every shelf and spill onto the floor.

Suddenly, a fat little blue creature with buzzing wings flies at us.

He demands something in a grating language I don't recognize.

Maul tells him that he needs a ship.

At the prospect of a sale, the blue creature immediately becomes polite and offers any help he can.

Maul and the shop owner speak for a short moment.

Then the blue creature takes him out back to look at ships.

I started to trail along behind them, but Maul motioned for me to stay put.

So I was left alone in the shop by myself.

I wander around, looking at the goods.

I can't imagine what someone would want with such junk.

If the parts weren't broken or bent, they were well-worn and battered. To the point of them being of no use but to be a temporary fix, if absolutely needed.

And a _very_ _temporary_ fix, if that.

Leaning over a shelf to get a better look at the inside of a control panel's circuits, I accidentally activate a droid in the process.

It's thin metal body unfolds at once.

Then it begins lurching about, and knocking items off of shelves.

I cringe at the sound of scrap pieces of metal being scraped across one another, as they fall and clatter to the ground.

But the droid is once again deactivated before I know it, and I anxiously look about the shop to see if anyone else had seen the incident.

Luckily, no one is around.

Not even another potential customer.

A second later, Maul strides back into the shop and beckons to me.

I hurry after him. Expecting either a full-on lecture about leaving the items in the junk-dealer's shop alone, or some kind of verbal bashing.

But he does nothing of the sort, so I decide to speak instead.

"Did he have the ship we need?" I ask quietly.

It's only after the words have left my mouth that I question my use of "we".

I hadn't thought twice about it before saying it, it just felt natural for some strange reason.

I expect him to correct me.

Or at least raise a brow.

But he doesn't.

Instead, he nods silently.

"And the Toydarian is charging a fortune for it," he says irritably, ducking his way through the front door.

"Wait!" I blurt out, tugging on his arm.

He jerks his head around to face me, and stares down at the grip my hand has on his arm, obviously surprised with the physical contact.

His eyes widen in shock, and he furrows his brows, warning me to release my grip.

I awkwardly let go of his arm before continuing, unsure of why I'd grabbed hold of it in the first place.

"I think I can get him to sell it to us for cheap." I whisper, as if the shop keeper can hear us from this great of distance.

Maul crosses his arms and gives me a doubtful look.

"I know I can." I say, trying my best to sound confident.

He stares at me for a while. Then nods for me to talk to the flying blue creature.

A small smile creeps up on my lips.

I am thankful.

At the very least he is giving me a chance to prove myself, instead of disregarding me completely.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

When my eyes re-open I look him straight in the eye, and nod once in determination.

I can do this.

I know I can.

I've dealt with bargaining before on Naboo.

I know how some dealers work.

Why should this one be any different?

I cross the distance from Maul to the junk-dealer, and the blue creature looks at me uneasily.

Being a small, innocent-looking teen girl, I doubt he is nervous about me.

The only thing I can figure, is that Maul must have threatened him before giving up on the deal.

That's probably why he's acting so skittish.

I begin talking to him in a soft, calm manner.

I know better than anyone that if you want to get a positive reaction out of someone, you have to earn their trust.

And what better way to do that than show one's self to be friendly?

Me and the Toydarian (as Maul referred to him before), talk for several minutes.

I see Maul glancing over at us from out of the corner of my eye; tapping his black boots on the ground, and staring at me angrily.

Waiting impatiently for me to seal the deal.

The blue creature takes a few moments to convince, but after a while I am able to talk him down on the price.

I can only _hope_ that Maul is able to pay up on the price that I promise him.

Me and the blue creature shake hands to confirm the transaction, and I turn my head to look over at Maul.

His brows are scrunched together, and his eyes are wide.

He stares at me in disbelief.

I can tell by his expression that his blood is boiling with jealousy.

I flash him a triumphant grin as I stride past him out the door.

Leaving him aggravated and dumbfounded.


	16. Darkness & Shame

**A/N Thank you RJ, Sudooku, Nikkette, Foxface, Celgress, LadyTraveler, Guest, MorphisorEmerald, and CaptainAwesome for reviewing! You guys are the greatest! You're in for a total shocker in this chapter, hope you like it! ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

_Chapter 16: Darkness &amp; Shame_

(Darth Maul's POV)

"You threatened him, didn't you?" she asks smugly, as we trudge our way through the outskirts of the city. We needn't return to the blasted escape pod again, had I not left behind my com-link.

Beads of sweat roll down my face in the blazing heat, and my brows furrow in frustration.

How could a human girl, _of all creatures,_ manage to best me in a deal?

The shameful thought refuses to leave me, opting instead to resurface again and again in my brain.

I do not reply to her inquiry, but to turn my head away, refusing to give up my pride.

"I knew you did!" She says grinning from ear to ear. "You're so unfamiliar with kindness, that I bet you don't even know how to show it."

I ignore her, and continue walking in silence.

Not bothering to inform her that 'kindness' is not something that a Sith Lord would see fit to train their apprentice, given the fact that they do not show any kindness themselves.

Being a Sith_ demands_ that one not show any mercy or pity, and _especially_ not kindness.

A bleeding heart will not get you anywhere.

Master warned me of that at a very young age.

_Never allow your heart to become entangled by another, Maul. It will only lead you to vulnerability and defeat. Nothing good can come of it. Trust no one._

_But what about you, Master? _I had foolishly asked_. __I trust you._

_No, my young apprentice, he said. You have faith in me. Faith and trust are two very different things._

I had thought about that long and hard when I was a youngling, and never before had I understood what he meant.

But now, as I near being a worthy instrument for my Master command and use, I do believe that those words have become much clearer.

There is a big difference between having faith, and having trust in someone.

Faith is something I have only come by in one person; my Master.

Trust is something much harder for me to come by.

If I have ever become close to trusting anyone, it would be my Master.

I don't believe I would have the capacity of trusting anyone else.

Not even if they had somehow managed to trust me first.

Out of the corner of my eye, I observe the young queen twirling the shiny silver band around her wrist, and smiling down at it like it were some precious gift from a close friend, and not some valueless object given to her by her heartless, ruthless captor in a meaningless attempt at scaring her to the point of obedience.

Her absurd childish actions cause me to question my own feelings towards the human girl, and I hold back a shudder of disgust.

The thought of having_ any_ feeling at _all_ other than hatred toward the small queen causes me much discomfort. Enough so that I insist taking it upon myself to analyze what it is that I've been sensing between us these past hours.

Is it _faith_?

Or trust?

_No_, it can't be either of those.

I wouldn't_ dare_ trust that _deceiving little creature_ for a second.

She has lost any chance of that long ago.

As for faith, I cannot say I would have the_ tolerance,_ or _capacity_, of doing so either.

So what is it that I feel?

Mutual respect?

A growing tolerance of being in her presence?

An understanding of some sort?

Whatever the unreadable feeling in the pit of my stomach is, I can only say that it is making me undeniably sick.

We walk in silence for the longest time.

The rough sand brushing against my boots, and the occasional gust of wind is the only sound to be heard.

We venture on for several kilometers, until I see two small spots on the horizon.

My brows knit together in confusion.

As we move closer, the spots grows larger and larger.

For the shortest second, I begin to believe that the heat has finally gotten to me, and I am seeing nothing but mirages.

But then we come even closer.

And to my surprise, one of the spots is a man. And the other is a large ship.

For a moment, I am confused.

What purpose would he have for landing in the outskirts of the city?

Then I watch how the man moves, and I know the figure in the distance is _indeed_ a Jedi.

My hands ball up into tight fists, and I am immediately on-guard.

Why is he here?

Could it possibly be to rescue the queen?

I think of the Galactic Senate.

Would they have sent a Jedi to do such a job?

How did he manage to track us?

Other than an array of ship pieces blasted into oblivion, we left no possible trace of evidence of our survival, aside from the fact that we managed to depart with an escape pod.

It makes no sense.

I cannot be tracked.

Never have been, never will be.

Still, it bothers me that our location has been compromised.

They must have landed here by mere chance.

There's _no blasted way_ that they would be desperate enough to search the entire galaxy in this short amount of time.

I put a hand on my belt containing my lightsaber, readying myself to attack.

I have the Jedi in my sights.

This Jedi will lead me to another.

Even dead, he will lead me, for another will return to find him, and I will be waiting.

I push the young queen protectively behind me, and tell her to stay put.

It will be much easier taking him out if I don't have the distraction of her well-being.

"What does he want?" She asks in a frightened voice, tugging on the back of my robe.

My eyes widen in surprise.

Does she not know what he _is_?

Is she completely oblivious as to what Jedi's are?

My neck nearly snaps in half as I whip it around to face her, and I am barely able to restrain myself from swatting her hand off me.

"Just stay put!" I growl, pushing her back a few feet.

I remove my lightsaber from my belt and begin sprinting towards him, challenging him to make a move.

I could knock the Jedi down and start from there.

Or would it be more satisfying to engage him directly?

I want to see his eyes.

I am almost on him, when the Jedi turns and sees me.

In one perfect movement I leap into the air, and activate the lightsaber in my hand.

The Jedi meets my first blow, blocking it.

He has expected my flying maneuver.

If an opponent can read you, the fight is over.

I don't like that the Jedi was perfectly prepared for my first blow.

Within seconds, I throw away my usual combinations and strategies.

This Jedi seems to know how I will move before_ I_ do.

But he cannot match my strength.

I sense this.

And I feel his surprise at this.

Yet he does not let his puzzlement slow him down.

I tell myself that this man has never met an enemy like me before, and it frightens him.

_Your fear is justified. Prepare to die._

I accelerate my pace, calling on my anger to increase my power.

My footwork has never been so brilliant.

I use the shifting sand as resistance.

My lightness and quickness will defeat this man, with his large body, his heavy movements.

But he is graceful, this Jedi.

The sand doesn't seem to hamper him.

He is never off balance, no matter where or how I strike.

Our blows send shudders through my body.

He meets my strength.

Our lightsabers clash and sizzle.

Dust and sand rise around us.

I never lose my rhythm.

The Jedi shouts over his shoulder, apparently calling to someone from within the ship, and tells them to 'save the girl'.

My eyes widen slightly in surprise.

Do they know that she is the queen? Or do they simply think that I have kidnapped a young innocent girl?

Anger wells up inside me.

They will _never_ have her.

Not while she's within my possession.

After I defeat my enemy, I will find the second Jedi.

But I must confess that this Jedi is a challenge.

If I leap, he is with me.

If I turn, he follows me.

He meets my ferocity with his own.

His lightsaber swirls and hums, and several times comes closer than I like.

It is because of my leg wound.

It has slowed me down somewhat. Despite the fact that it has been bandaged and treated several times.

It is almost imperceptible, but it_ is_ there.

The Jedi has an advantage.

I am not at my best.

This realization sends more rage pumping into my body.

I am angry at myself, but I use the anger to fuel the dark side.

I feel the Force come from the Jedi and I send it back to him, showing him that I, too, have a connection, and it is stronger than his.

I launch a furious counterattack.

I feel the Jedi beginning to tire, and triumph rises like a red mist before my eyes.

I gain the advantage.

I am winning.

I will _defeat_ him.

I have been surprised at his skill, but now I am confident of victory.

I will savor each moment of this battle.

Despite his fatigue, his blows still have power.

He is a large man with impressive strength.

He will fall heavily, like a monument.

I feel savage pleasure course through me.

His weakness feeds my power.

I drive him back, spin around when he parries, drive him back again.

The dust chokes my throat, but I hardly notice it.

Suddenly, the ship is near us.

I hear the young queen shriek, in what is either surprise or horror.

And in the blink of an eye, I lose sight of the Jedi.

Does he disappear in the dust? Flip past me?

I am not sure.

Had I maneuvered him where I wanted him?

Or had he maneuvered me?

I see him make a gigantic leap and land on the ramp of the ship.

I see a blur of another person standing beside him, holding something in their arms.

I squint slightly from the bright suns overhead, and focus my eyes.

Only to come to the realization that he is holding the young queen.

_No!_

How did_ he_ managed to snatch her? And in such a short time?

Immediately I am after him.

But I am too late.

I stand and watch the ship as it rises.

Soon it is just a speck in the distance.

I taste sand in my mouth.

The Jedi is gone.

Along with the queen.

I stand in the same spot for a long time.

The winds rises.

It drives the sand against me furiously, sharp pricks against my face and exposed skin.

I feel something trickle in my mouth; blood.

Still I stand and let the wind whip sand in a maelstrom around me and against me.

The blood in my mouths stings, tasting of humiliation.

Shame.

I have not felt shame like this before.

It is a darkness darker than any I have known.

But it is not a pleasing darkness.

I have failed.

Now I must tell my Master.


	17. Confusion & Heartache

**A/N So...I was going to post this chapter several weeks back, but after re-reading it, for like, the tenth time, I decided it wasn't good enough. Along with the last few remaining chapters I had typed with it. **

**The ending was short, bland, terrible, etc. So I completely changed it for your reading purposes. It just didn't feel right to leave you guys with the ending I previously had in mind.**

**I hope that you like the newer, revised chapters to come. **

**Please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

_Confusion &amp; Heartache_

_(Padme's POV)_

My head is spinning.

I can't see straight.

Everthing is a blur.

The last thing I remember, is being carried away by a mysterious cloaked figure.

And not the cloaked figure of my captor-_no-_my _protector_; Maul (he's saved my life far more than twice, and that in and of itself I think deserves the dubbing of 'protector') but another cloaked figure.

A figure a bit smaller in stature and size.

It wasn't like Maul.

No, this figure wasn't of another species.

It was _human_.

And a _he_ at that.

With short brown hair, and blue eyes.

_Curious, innocent_ blue eyes.

The next thing I know, I'm here.

Wherever '_here_' is.

My mind barely registers the sound of a man's voice, as my eyes begin coming into focus.

Within seconds, I am aware that I have once again been taken aboard a ship, and seem to be suffering from a great case of deja-vu.

Two blurry forms in front of me morph into two men.

One taller, and older. The other shorter, and younger.

The taller one is powerfully built, with a rugged face and clear, piercing blue eyes.

The shorter one is quite a bit younger and much more slender.

Both of them are adorned in the same type of clothing; a large, open brown robe, with loose-fitting beige garments underneath.

They both hold themselves at ease, but I feel the power in their stillness. As if an invisible field of energy is slowly radiating off them.

My eyes widen in surprise.

_Could they be Jedi?_

I have heard of Jedi, of course, but I have never met one before. And I don't really know much about them other than the fact that they can wield a blade of light.

"Who are you?" I blurt, fear soaking into me like a sponge as I shrink away into a corner of the room.

The younger man (the cloaked one who had carried me from before) reaches his hand out for me to take, but I stare back at it uneasily.

"Calm down, Your Highness." The young male says soothingly.

"_Highness_?" I question, mind spinning even more rapidly than before. "You know who I am?"

"We are Jedi sent to rescue you by The Council." The older man says casually.

"By the _Council_?" I question, slowly moving out of the corner I'd deemed 'safe' for the time-being.

"Yes, Miss Amidala." He confirms, giving me a nod.

"Who contacted you?" I ask warily.

"A 'Captain Panaka', I believe. The man responsible for your safety, is that right?"

I nod in confirmation.

"Yes. That's correct...How did he-?"

"Know to contact us?" He asks, a ghost of a smile on his face. "That's part of his job, I believe; caring for your well-being."

"How did you find me?" I wonder aloud.

I would've been like trying to find a needle in a stack of hay with all the other thugs and criminals on the planet. They probably had about a one-in-a-million chance of finding me.

"Well, it wasn't easy," He admits. "I'll say that much."

"Master?" The younger male asks, sitting himself down in one of the ship's pilot seats. "I'm setting course for our next landing, is that alright?"

The older man quickly glances of his shoulder to look at the data-screen in front of the younger male.

"Yes, padawan, that'll be fine."

"Our next landing?" I ask uneasily. "Where will that be?"

_"Naboo, of course."_ The younger male replies, as if I was already aware of this. "Knowing the _predicament_ that your planet is in, naturally I'd think..." He trails off when he registers the expression on my face.

_Predicament?_

"_What_?" I breathe out.

The young male turns his head to look at me, but not before shooting a glance towards his older comrade.

"Uh...oh. You didn't know, did you?"

I shake my head.

He then proceeds to tell me that my planet has been _invaded_.

An army of droids and tanks has long since claimed the precious planet I call my home.

"It happened the day you were captured, according to Panaka." He says quietly. "I'm sorry your Highness, I thought you knew."

_The night I was captured?_

The night I was whisked away from my balcony, and taken aboard a foreign ship, destined to be transportated to who-knows-where as my people were left in a state of panic and fright at sight of armed intruders invading the city of Theed, and the absence of their young, newly-elected queen?

A hard lump forms in my throat, and I struggle to blink away forming tears.

"No," I slowly manage to get the words out. "this would be the first I've heard of it. Thank you for informing me, uh..." I look at them expectantly, hoping they'll be kind enough to address their own names.

"Qui-gon." The older man bows, and says quietly.

"Obi-wan." The younger man replies, getting up from one of the pilot's seats and following suit.

"Qui-gon and Obi-wan." I finish.

* * *

After the unveiling of my planet's current state of turmoil, and slowly managing to recover from my overwhelming shock, Qui-gon had suggested that I lie down in the ship's medical room, and get some well-needed rest.

Though now I'm starting to wonder if 'rest' is really helping.

The more I try to _'rest'_, the more _stressed_ I get. And stress is never good for anything.

Especially not when concerning matters as important as saving an invaded planet.

I look out one of the ship's windows, and stare blankly into space.

What is missing that I'm trying to find?

Why do I feel so empty inside?

Shouldn't I be happy now that I am freed?

Why is it _now_ that I really feel like a prisoner?

A prisoner whose only purpose is to govern a planet that is now in turmoil?

It doesn't make any sense.

I _wanted_ to be rescued.

To be _saved_.

_Didn't I?_

It was hardly a few rotations ago that I was inwardly begging Panaka to come find me. And now...

_I just don't know._

I was fully expecting to encounter problems of_ some kind_ when I was elected queen, but not _once_ had it occured to me that the possiblity of war and enslavement would be one of them.

I may have had what it took to govern one of Naboo's smaller cities, but right now, I'm not so sure about an entire planet.

I hear a light patter of footsteps, and my head whips around to face the door-way entrance behind me.

Obi-wan's head peers into the room, and he politely asks for my permission to enter.

"You can come in." I say softly, a small smile gracing my lips.

It isn't until he fully enters the room that I notice the gauze and tiny container of salve that he has in his hands.

He stands hardly two feet away from me, eyes falling onto my bandaged wrist, and suddenly I realize that he plans on re-treating it.

"Oh." I say lamely, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

I sit atop one of the medical beds that jut out from one of the walls, and stay silent as he begins unwrapping the old gauze from my wounded wrist, and dabs it with ointment.

"Your Highness?" He says abruptly, as if the silence is too awkward for him to work in.

"Yes?" I inquire.

"Did you bandage this yourself?" He looks up from my wound, momentarily pausing with his work.

"Maul did..." I say quietly.

"Who?" He asks, brows raised.

"Uh," I stutter a second before recovering. "I did."

"Well it's very precise, your Majesty." He says, wrapping some new gauze around the wounded area.

Although the wound itself is nearly healed, and no doubt has no need to be bandaged again, I don't object.

"I'll have you fixed up in just moment." He assures.

Within a few seconds he's finished his task, and once again the room is filled with an awkward silence.

_Me_, because I can't think of a polite way to dismiss him, and _him_ for a reason I'm not sure of.

"What's this?" He asks, looking down at the silver band on my wrist, and taking it in his hands.

Without thinking, I abruptly pull my arm away from him.

"It's a bracelet," I say briskly. "and it's mine."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness." He apologizes sincerely. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

A soft sigh escapes my lips.

Why did I do that?

What does that tiny band mean to me?

"You didn't." I say quietly. "I...I'm sorry. I've just been really on edge lately, what with all that's happened these past few days..."

"Of course," He nods. "I understand. You're very fortunate to be alive, Your Majesty. Who knows what could've happened to you had you been in that creature's clutches for long?"

That creature?

My mind quickly wanders back to Maul.

Would he have followed after me?

Did he stay on Tattooine?

Exactly _how_ important of a person, or even a _prisoner_, was I to him?

"Yes..." I say absentmindedly. "Who knows?"

"But I am elated to find you alive and well," He continues. "as I'm sure Panaka will be once he hears the news of your rescue and return."

Panaka?

I bet he was worried sick.

I nod silently.

"Is there anything you need, Your Highness? Anything I can do to make your trip back more comfortable?"

I think for a second.

What could _he_ possibly do to make my trip more comfortable?

Then I think of my attire.

Or, lack thereof.

"Uh...is it possible that you could provide me with a warmer garment than this one?" I ask pointing to my long, open draping cloak, and thin dress underneath it.

Obi-wan stares at my figure for a fraction of a second, momentarily breaking from his previously professional mannerisms, and looks up at me uncomfortably.

"Uh-uh...um," He stutters. "yes, of course! Right away!" He quickly turns on his heel, happy to have left the awkward situation behind, when suddenly, he stops, mid-stride, and peers in through the door-way. "Will that be all?" He asks curiously.

My brows raise in amusement, and I can't help but smile at him.

"_Yes_, thank you kindly." I tell him.

"Right." He says, turning once again on his heel.

And with that, he's gone.

* * *

I sit.

Staring out the small glass panel across from me, and gaze longingly at the stars.

Now adorned in one of my outfits from home, I can only assume that the ship I am now traveling in happens to belong to me, the Queen of Naboo. Why else would the ship be built with a such huge wardrobe containing extravagent robes and garments?

I thought the outside of the ship looked familiar when I had encountered it on Tattooine, but it makes sense that I didn't recognize the interior.

Having only recently been elected, I haven't had the time nor pleasure to go cruising out in space, and visiting other planets. I've spent too much of my time sorting out things in the Palace.

Time passes unusually slow, considering I'm in a space ship that can hit hyper-drive in a mili-second, and can travel from one planet to another in five seconds tops.

After a while of waiting, I am later informed by Obi-wan that our hyper-drive has a leak, and that it will take much longer than planned to reach Naboo.

Although very dismayed by the news, eventually, we land.

* * *

I spot Panaka and the Palace soldiers on the outkirts of the city, huddled behind the tall, green shrubbery, trying to stay hidden from the army of droids that lurk within Theed.

I slowly descend the ramp from the my ship to the earthy ground of my planet, and breathe in the fresh Naboo air.

"Captain," I call to Panaka in the distance.

His head immediately whips around at the sound of my voice, and he is at my side in a second, the Palace soldiers following closely behind him.

"Your Highness!" He exclaims joyously, as if my absence was that of years instead of only a few rotations.

"Are you alright?" He asks, worry etching his face as his eyes scan me for any harm.

"Your arm, Milady!" He exclaims, reaching for it gently. "You've been injured."

"I'm fine, Captain." I say softly, struggling to fight the smile that threatens to adorn my lips at the sight of his unnecessary distress, despite the terrible circumstances of us meeting each other at our specific location.

"Are you sure?" He quiestions, disbelievingly.

"_Yes_, Panaka." I say holding his hand on mine firmly. _"I am sure."_

He immediately clears his throat, and attempts getting back into his right military state-of-mind.

"What do you propose we do in a matter this grave?"


	18. Return & Punishment

**A/N Thank you all very much for reviewing! You're all very kind. **

**BUT, before anyone compliments me on this chapter, please know that 90% of what is typed here (other than the slight mentions of Padme and the last few paragraphs of Maul's thoughts) is taken directly from the Star Wars novel "Darth Maul's Journal". **

**Mainly because, like I informed you before, I am not very good at describing action scenes. Therefore, I thought it would be much easier for both _me_, and _you_ to understand what was happening if I just recycled some scenes from the books, and re-arranged them to fit in with my story-line. **

**That being so, please continue reading, and enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Star Wars or Darth Maul's Journal, or any of Jude Watson's works.**

* * *

_Return &amp; Punishment_

(_Darth Maul's POV)_

There is no reason to remain on Tatooine.

I know what I must do.

I must return to Coruscant and face Lord Sidious.

I send a report that the Jedi have taken off with the Queen, and I am returning.

I know my Master will want to hear the details in person.

I am prepared to do this, but I am not looking forward to it.

* * *

I arrive at Coruscant at night.

Apprehension fizzes in my blood.

There is nothing in the galaxy to compare to my Master when he is displeased.

I dock my ship in the landing bay.

The entrance panel slides closed. To outsiders it looks like a sheer wall, but in reality it is my Masters own hidden fortress.

I complete my arrival checks.

When I realize I am delaying, I wrench my mind into the proper form for a Sith Lord.

_We do not delay._

_We do not feel dread._

I head straight for my Master.

He stands in the middle of an empty room, the place he plans and meditates.

There is nothing in the room to distract him.

Even the door slides closed and becomes invisible.

I stand before my Master in his hidden quarters.

I tell him of Amidala's rescue, and of the destruction of my previous ship.

He does not take it well.

He raises his hand, and the dark side of the force grabs me by the throat and lifts me high up into the air.

The breath is slowly squeezed out of me.

Too slowly.

I have time to feel every stretched-out moment of panic as I struggle to force even the tiniest trickle of air into my lungs.

When I am close to passing out, he drops me to the floor in a heap.

"You have failed me, Maul." He says ruefully.

I slowly manage to make it back to my feet, gasping what little air I can back into my lungs.

"I will not fail you next time, Master. " I say lowering my head.

"There will not be a next time, Maul."

My brows furrow in confusion, and my heart sinks at the mere thought of being shunned by him.

He reaches his belt for his weapon, and activates his lightsaber.

"You cannot be as pathetic as you look," my Master says.

He raises his lightsaber and attacks.

My eyes widen in surprise, and I'm barely able to activate my own lightsaber in time to parry the blow.

Thinking while on my feet, I reverse my position, and come at him from the opposite side.

But he is already gone by the time I am able to make my attack.

The lunge throws off my balance.

He laughs.

"I take it back," he says. "You_ are_ that pathetic."

He tells me I am weak, not worthy of being a Sith Lord.

He tells me he has misjudged me.

I attempt to attack him.

The ball of anger inside me turns to a howling rage.

It is painfully obvious that he is playing with me.

He can kill me in a heartbeat.

Yet something in me will not accept this, _even_ from my Master.

My life force won't allow it.

I struggle on, even when faced with his ridicule.

He tells me he has expected my failure.

He saw my weaknesses long ago.

Secretly, over the long years, he has trained another apprentice.

I have not been alone.

I point out, gasping, that more than one apprentice is against the rules of the Sith.

"You are right," he says. "A spark of intelligence at last."

The second apprentice is on the other side of the galaxy.

He completed the mission assigned to him.

He did not sustain any injuries whatsoever.

He is healthy and strong.

"Unlike the pathetic weakling I see before me," my Master says.

I realize dully what this means.

_He_ will become a Sith Lord.

_He_ will receive the honor I was due.

_He_ will reap the glory I had punished my body and disciplined my mind for years in order to receive.

A slow rage begins to burn through me.

It is a terrible anger, no less fierce because it starts as a kernel of disbelief and then builds.

I have never felt anything like it.

I know it can consume me.

_No_.

I_ won't_ let it.

I can direct it.

My rage will consume my enemy.

It will consume my _Master_.

_Yes_, my Master is now my enemy.

He is my_ betrayer_.

Hatred sears me,_ hardens_ me.

"Can you make the next leap in logic?" Lord Sidious asks me contemptuously.

"Try to focus, Maul. If there can be only one apprentice, then one of you must die. Who do_ you_ think I have chosen to die, Maul?"

The rage rockets within me, pumping energy into my muscles.

I can do_ anything_.

I can _kill_ my Master.

I _want_ to kill him.

My hatred is so huge it blots everything else but my desire for his blood.

With a howl torn from the depths of my belly, I spring at him.

He barely misses the first blow from my lightsaber, for even in my rage I have employed strategy, coming at him from below, hoping to rip him in two.

He parries my next blow.

Sweat stings my eyes as I move across the smooth floor.

I do not stumble.

I am nothing but the pulse of my anger; pure energy, pure darkness.

I streak across the floor and come at him again, somersaulting through the air.

My lightsaber whirls in the dim light.

When he parries my blow, he staggers.

I am going to _kill_ him.

Every beat of my blood exults in my power. Every blow I deliver is meant to be the killing blow.

I use reserves of strength I did not know I had.

My blows are sure and precise, my footwork flawless.

I gather in the power of the dark side.

I feel my power clash with his.

The air is thick, charged with our dark, titanic powers.

He parries every blow.

But I see that he has to work hard to keep me at bay.

Triumph roars through me at my Master's weakness.

He is not as powerful as he appears.

_"You want to kill me?"_ he taunts. "You want to _kill_ your_ Master_?"

"Yes," I grunt.

"You hate me?"

_"Yes!"_ I scream out the word through gritted teeth.

But I have been weakened by our confrontation, and my Master maneuvers me against one of the walls.

I am gasping, trying to suck in enough air to keep moving.

My vision blurs as Lord Sidious raises his lightsaber.

I parry the blow, but my lightsaber suddenly flies out of my hand, torn by the power of my Master directing the dark side.

I realize then that he has just begun to tap into his own reserves.

Mine are played out.

I will not be able to deflect the next blow.

It will rend me in two.

In a blur of sweat and pain I see the mighty power of my Master raised against me, see the lightsaber come toward me, see my death as clearly as a bone-white moon in an ebony sky.

I lunge forward and sink my teeth into his hand.

I strike like an animal, so quickly he doesn't have time to step away.

I taste his blood and spit it back at him in contempt.

He looks alarmed, but still capable of completing his current task.

_Yes_, he will kill me.

But I will die with _his_ blood on _my_ lips.

The lightsaber comes down.

I wait for the pain and shock.

I wait to die.

My Master laughs.

He tosses the lightsaber aside, and lifts up his injured hand to look it over in the dim light.

It is imprinted with my teeth marks, and some blood oozes out of the punctured skin.

He pulls a thin black cloth from his robe's pocket, and winds it around his palm.

_"You are not worthy of my trouble,"_ he spits out at me. "You are a_ pathetic, worthless, fool_."

He turns around slowly to leave.

I fall to the floor on my knees, gasping for air.

I cannot let him get away.

I attempt levitating my lightsaber back towards me, but he flings it across the room with the flick of his wrist.

As he reaches the door, he twists his neck around to face me.

"You are not worthy of _anyone's_ trouble."

Anger erupts inside me.

I try getting up on my feet, but he slams me back on the ground with the force.

My eyes widen, as the air is temporarily knocked out of me.

"Don't bother getting back up," He says mercilessly. "You will only be beaten down again."

And without another word, he leaves.

And I am left in the cold, dark room with nothing to think of but my terrible failure.

Without serving under the command of my Master - or former Master - what purpose do I have now?

Over the many years of my life, I've been nothing but a weapon of_ his, _to wield and use to his liking. And now that he has cast me out, and dubbed me as 'unworthy of his troubles', who am I to follow?

I have been trained to_ kill_ and _follow orders,_ it's all I've ever known.

Many a creature has died by my hand and the blade of my lightsaber.

Were any of them even _worth_ the trouble of sacrificing in exchange for my Master's approval?

Could it be possible that I have more of a purpose than acting impulsively on thoughtless killing?

My mind wanders back to a time I had killed a Twi'lek male. One who had shamelessly begged and pleaded for me to spare his life, in the hopes that he could return home safely, and reunite with his wife and children.

I hadn't thought twice of killing him then.

His life meant nothing to me.

I'd never value any life over mine. No matter whose I happened to be taking.

But now, when I look back on my actions, I actually feel the tiniest speck of what I can only decipher in my two small hearts as remorse.

I used to like killing.

And it wasn't just a way of life, I actually drew pleasure from it.

I liked watching my victims suffer as I plunged the blade of my lightsaber further into their chests.

Now that I have been betrayed by my Master, everything I ever_ thought_ I knew is up for debate.

Killing mercilessly, channeling the dark side, practicing in the ways of the Sith, _everything._

What am I to believe of all the people he's ordered me to seek out and kill for him?

Did he want them dead for his own amusement, or did he only have me kill whoever he believed posed a threat to him?

I think back to other creatures' lives I've taken.

What did they have in common?

Most of them were just worthless thugs. Or at least, the first few minor kills were.

Others had much higher standings; politicians and senators.

He'd have me pick off a few of the lesser-knowns, or the occasional newly-elected from time to time.

But what was the significance? To gain power? Other than controlling a blasted galaxy of nit-wits, what was he possibly hoping to achieve?

An empire of fools is still fools. No harnessing of dark forces can cure that.

As a matter of fact, even the young queen-

Padme!

My mind quickly wanders back to Tattooine, where I had shamefully let my fight with the Jedi distract me from my true unspoken task; protecting the young queen.

It is only now that I will allow myself to ponder whether or not my overwhelming urge to protect the queen in that moment was out of loyalty for my former Master, or for some deep unconscious liking towards the human.

I had pondered before whether or not the strange feelings I harbored for her were that of 'faith' or 'trust', and had concluded then that it was neither of those.

For I had only ever thought to have faith in one being; my former Master. And look where that's gotten me; betrayed. Fooled. Duped. Tricked.

Though now, when rethinking my previous conclusion of where my 'feelings' had lied with the girl, I do believe there was... a connection... of some sort between us.

Something I couldn't quite grasp, then or now.

And what was it that he planned on doing with the young Naboo queen once he had her in his clutches?

After a while, I finally manage catching my breath, and begin rising back to my feet.

If he will not fight me anymore, then I will find another way to destroy him.

I will track him down.

_I will make him suffer._


	19. Bright Light

(Padme's POV)

I can't see the invaders from where I stand, but I know that they're causing mayhem. They have to be. What other reason would someone invade a planet with an army of droids?

I wonder how my people are fairing in this predicament.

They must be frightened.

Confused.

I picture them being forced against their wills and herded into camps.

A single tear slides down my cheek, and I try my hardest to shake the thought from my head.

I must be strong.

I have to keep a clear head.

If I want to save them, I don't have time to waste standing here doing nothing but feeling sorry for them.

I've thought long and hard on this.

My enemies are vastly more powerful.

They have things I lack in quantity.

Weapons, troops.

Everything you need for war.

But I have something they lack even more; surprise.

I call a meeting with the Jedi and Captain Panaka.

I have a plan.

All we need is a few of our troops to draw the droid army away from Theed, and act as a diversion while the rest of us enter the city through the secret passages by the waterfalls.

Once we reach the palace, Panaka will create another diversion, and a small squad of us will enter the palace and capture their commander.

Without him, the droids will be lost and confused.

I ask Qui-Gon what he thinks of the plan.

I figure that it wouldn't hurt to get a little advice from a Jedi, someone who is trained in keeping peace amongst the galaxy.

He looks thoughtful.

"Their commander will be well guarded." He warns me.

I nod, and glance over at Panaka.

I can already see his military mind working.

He may live on our peaceful planet, but he's well trained in military tactics.

"The real difficulty is getting into the throne room," he says. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem."

I give him a sad smile, and he returns it with an equally sad one.

Neither of us would have thought we'd end up in a situation quite like this one.

Panaka had never liked the thought of me reigning as queen to begin with, and I had never liked the thought of following through with any of his military procedures.

Yet here we are, thrust into a situation beyond our control, both willingly working together and relying on one another to put our lives on the line for our shared responsibility and duty of protecting our planet.

"It's worth a shot, your Majesty," He says, crossing his arms.

"If you're willing to follow through with it." He jokes, making a playful poke at the last conversation we had about 'following procedures'.

I suppress a scoff.

_If I'm 'willing to follow through'?_

What he's really asking me, is if I'm brave enough to step up to the challenge.

And I most certainly am.

"Yes, Captain," I tell him, looking him straight in the eye. "I'm willing."

He smiles and gives his head a slight shake.

"Now that's the young queen I know."

Suddenly it hits me.

I realize what he was trying to do;

Bring out the fighter in me.

* * *

I change into another one of my garments back on the ship. One that allows me the most movement, and equip a small, custome-made blaster to hide underneath the sleeve of my thin robe.

Panaka and our seventeen palace troops also gear up with some of the blasters that are stashed in the ship's compartments.

As expected, Qui-Gon and Obi-wan opt to stick to their lightsabers, even when offered a blaster.

Ten of the troops stay behind to be the diversion.

And the rest follow Panaka, Qui-gon, Obi-wan, and me on our way to the waterfalls.

I can't think.

It's like my legs are moving by themselves.

I feel numb.

Like I'm in a dream-like state. Waiting for someone on the outside to put their hands on my shoulders and roughly shake me awake.

But no one does.

Not my sister.

Not my mother.

Not my father.

Not a stranger.

Not a soul.

It's only me, and the droid-filled acres before me.

My heart pounds in my chest.

My eyes can't focus on anything.

My head isn't quite clear enough for me to think, and within 30 seconds, I have temporarily forgotten where I am.

I look curiously around myself. Taking in what little of my surroundings there is, only to remain in my strange dream-like state.

It doesn't take us long to reach the secret entrance.

The huge running body of water ceases to flow when Panaka punches a code into a hidden pannel behind a stream of water.

He motions with his hands for us to follow behind him, and we all comply.

The entrance behind the waterfall is nothing but a long tunnel. Half of which is filled with water, and requires a boat for safe passage.

We don't have a boat.

I turn my head and nervously look to Panaka.

He stares back at me wide-eyed.

I hadn't taken the possibility into account when I thought of my plan.

Apparently he didn't either.

The seven palace troops give each other a few looks, then slowly wade into the water.

"We can carry you, Your Highness." One of the troops offer, holding a hand out for me to take.

"No," I shake my head.

"I can't ask that of you. It's too much trouble, I'll slow you down."

Panaka gives me a determined look. "I'm not letting you out of my sight, Your Highness."

Qui-gon and Obi-wan remove their robes and prepare themselves to dive in at a moments notice. All I have to do is say the word.

"Can you swim, Your Highness?" Qui-gon asks, folding his hands infront of himself.

"Yes." I inform him.

I can swim fairly well, that is.

Well enough to keep myself up at least.

I remove my heavy robe, and tuck my blaster into one of my knee-high military boots that I'd swiped from the ship.

Having nothing but a thin, dark red long sleeved shirt, and black leggings, it will be much easier for me to swim through the current of the rushing water.

Moving fast, I dive into the crystal clear water, and disappear below.

I resurface in time to see Panaka, Qui-gon, and Obi-wan dive in as well.

"Will you lead, Captain?" I ask, swishing my arms back and forth to keep my head above the water.

"Yes, Milady. Stay close behind me."

"I will," I assure him. "But we have to move fast, our people are counting on us."

He nods and swims ahead, while the rest of us trail behind him.

For the longest time we swim straight, then the tunnel finally splits in two, and Panaka tells us to veer to the right, swimming on until we reach a brick ledge.

Within a few moments we encounter it, and the troops pull themselves up onto it one by one, until the only person that's left is me.

Panaka had wanted me to be the first out of the water, but I had insisted that everyone else go first.

I wanted to be one hundred percent sure that no one got left behind.

I look up at Panaka from below the ledge, and he extends a hand out for me to take.

I reach up as far as I can, and clasp my hand onto his wrist.

He struggles slightly as he pulls me up out of the water.

I manage to get one foot on the ledge, but my other foot slips, and without a moment's notice, I'm sent free-falling back into the shimmering water.

The water hits me with a hard "_smack!" _and I try my hardest to keep my head above the surface as the current starts to pull me under.

But before I can help it, I am completely submerged, flailing my hands around like mad, trying desperately to obtain air I cannot reach.

The water sloshes my body around in circles, effectively keeping me under for more time than I would like.

I hear a loud splash from close by as Panaka instinctively dives in after me, along with the two Jedi.

My eyes grow wide at the realization that I am sinking, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

All of the sudden, I see a bright light glowing all around me, as I begin sinking lower and lower into the bottomless tunnel.

The light surrounds me, and encases me like a shell.

_Will this be the end of me?_ I wonder.

_Drowning?_

My limbs grow stiff and my body begins drifting away with the flow of the current as it swishes by me in hurried gushes.

Air bubbles escape from my mouth.

Before I close my eyes, I see Obi-wan's worried expression as he reaches a hand out to grab me.

Then I'm gone...


	20. The Pull

**A/N Thank you Jenna, Celgress, JimmyLane, Guest, Foxface, Hellga, Nikkette, Lilliumconvalium, Foxyloxy7, NoratheSith, pigooz, NoratheSoulless, and Dragolover1  for reviewing! You're all amazing! (^_^)/ **

**And thank all of you who have put this story in their favorites, or are currently following it. **

**I am truly amazed at how much attention this story has received! I didn't know there were so many Maul &amp; Padme lovers out there. **

**When I first started writing this story I hesitated on whether or not to post it because I feared it wouldn't be appreciated. I knew the thought of Maul &amp; Padme being together was weird, or what some would call; a "crack-pairing", but I went ahead and tried my luck anyway. **

**If it managed to receive any reviews at all, I fully expected them to be negative, but to my surprise, the first reviews I received were very positive. So I continued to write and post new chapters. Soon it had 12 reviews (which was a lot for me, considering most of my stories had either 1 review, or none at the time), then 20, and before I knew it, 60, then 85, and now 93!  
**

**So I really, really appreciate all the positive reviews and attention that my story has received. Thank you so much for your support. :)**

* * *

(Darth Maul's POV)

_Chapter 20: "The Pull"_

As much as it pains me to do so, I wait.

My former Master, _Sidious_, has since left his hidden fortress, and departed Coruscant in his Eta-class shuttle. More than likely to seek out his forbidden apprentice.

While in present-time, I have resorted to pacing up and down one of the fortress's corridors, as my mind struggles to decide on a course of action to take.

The_ anger_ and _hatred_ welling up inside me wants me to follow after him, but a stray thought in the back of my mind warns me of the possibility it is a trap.

_Why else would he allow me to live?_

A Sith _never_ shows any mercy, not even to their apprentice.

I suppose it _is_ possible that during our skirmish, I had managed to weaken him, and he left to recuperate.

But that in and of itself would be a far stretch. _Even_ considering the hand-wound I gave him.

He didn't seem very disheveled when he left.

I abruptly stop my pacing when I notice a metal door a ways across from me, at the far end of the hall.

It mirrors back my reflection on its gleaming surface, revealing a red beast with black markings.

I take a few curious steps towards it, and stare back at the reflection before me, wondering if this image is a true reflection of who I _am_, or merely a reflection what I have _become. A __monster_, trained to do nothing but _kill_.

It's no wonder most creatures fear me.

My appearance is enough to strike fear even into my own two hearts.

When I begin to think about it, it's quite amusing, really.

There have been times that I've observed other creatures' appearances; taking in how sharp their features were, how distant their stares.

It was my way of learning about them.

I was able to judge their character by analyzing them based on the sum of their parts.

I learned of their many weaknesses, their few strengths.

All it took was a short, side-ways glance to evaluate them.

Nothing more, nothing less.

But in all this time, it has just now been brought to my attention, that never before have I bothered to learn anything from observing my own appearance.

Never before have I felt the need to.

I already knew of my character.

My strengths, my weaknesses.

Where my duty lied.

Or at least, that's what I had always told myself.

That's what I'd always thought.

But now, staring at the reflection that's cast back at me, I can't help but question my previous thoughts.

I can't help but wonder...

Is there something other than hatred and darkness behind these yellow eyes that begs to be let out?

Something else I have harbored deep inside my chest?

Something other than two tiny, black hearts?

No, I tell myself.

_Absolutely not._

Even if there was something else_ \- _and there_ isn't -_ I wouldn't dare let it rupture from the cage of my chest.

_ Never._

And my eyes hold nothing, I'm certain, except the eagerness I fight to seek out my next prey.

No longer desiring to face myself, I jerk my head away from the door with a 'snap'.

I don't have time to gawk.

I need to get back to the real task at hand.

What is the real task at hand, now, I wonder?

Defeating my former Master?_  
_

Or carving out a new path for myself in this galaxy?

I begin walking down an adjacent corridor, my boots scuffing against the floor as I shuffle down a hall.

I pass several training-room entry doors before finally deciding to enter one room in particular.

The refresher room.

Aside from meditating and training, if there's one thing that will clear my mind, it's a shower.

A long, searing, hot shower.

My hand brushes across the door's data pad, and I step in right after I hear the first clearance beep.

The room is like a large metal compartment; four shiny metal walls, with an equally shiny metal ceiling and floor, encasing the room's occupants like a box.

I hastily take off my boots, and set them aside so I can begin disrobing myself.

I remove my gloves first.

Revealing two red hands with a considerable amount bruises.

I open and close my palms several times to feel the muscles contract, and find that I am enamored with the pain it causes. The slight aching 'twinge'.

I have to stop myself from aggravating the pain any further.

It is almost like a game of mine; seeing how long I can last with the pain.

How much I can take.

I discard my cloak and the rest of my gear.

I quickly turn on the shower faucet, and step in without bothering to test the water.

I couldn't care less if it burned me, or froze me.

I doubt I'll even notice it anyhow.

At least, not for a while.

I hang my head low, and let the water drip from my horns.

_This is not defeat_, I tell myself, I would _never_ accept that.

I am just.._.'_licking wounds', so to speak.

Regaining some of my lost strength.

Strength, that had I been powerful enough, never would've been lost in the first place.

I lick the running water off my lips, reveling in the purity of its taste.

Then I exhale as the glistening walls of the shower and the metal of the spout begin fogging up.

My former Master's betrayal lies heavily on my shoulders.

From the very beginning, I had given him my faith.

I had relied on him to show me, and teach me the ways of the Dark Side.

To train me, and discipline me in order to harness the abilities of the Force that I now have.

But now he has shunned me and abandoned me, at the first real sign of weakness.

He has shut me out, and left me in the dark to wallow in my own failure.

He has taken _everything_ from me.

He has made me doubt everything I've ever thought or done.

He has stripped me bare of all my certainty, and determination.

Putting my faith in him - and ultimately my trust - was a mistake.

A mistake I will never make again.

He is nothing but a _fabrication_, I tell myself.

A lower life-form disguised as a human being.

He is only capable of _one thing_; manipulating every creature that crosses his path, so he can use them for his own means.

I ball my left hand up into a fist, and bash it into the wall that the shower faucet adorns.

An array of tiled pieces falls to the floor.

The faucet suddenly runs dry.

I exhale hotly.

I lean my head against the wall and try to calm myself, chest heaving.

I can't_._

I pound my fist into the wall again.

And again.

My anger manages to out weigh the pain that shoots through my fists as I keep pounding.

I don't stop until I see blood _seeping_ from my knuckles.

Perspiration coats my forehead, and I swipe at it with the back of my hand, smearing crimson all across my face in the process.

I examine the wounds on my hands, and begin opening and closing my palms like before.

Once again being enamored with the pain it causes, though this time it's much worse.

My hands shake from the anger and adrenaline pumping through my veins.

The pain seeps into my entire body and lights a fire inside my chest.

I _have_ to track him down.

There's no other way to satisfy my anger.

* * *

I board my ship and take it into orbit.

My fingers gloss over the control panel and strike a few keys to open up a destination log.

A blue hologram appears on my data screen, showing me the planet I have departed, and the systems that surround it.

I pull up charts of several systems that I suspect Sidious could've landed on, and try using my deduction skills to weed out the unlikely.

I figure that any planet with a large population of beings would be out of the question. Though when I think of his hidden fortress on Coruscant, I suppose any well-populated planet could be a potential landing spot.

All of the sudden, I feel a strong pull on either side of me, threatening to tear me in half if I dare not come to a speedy decision.

My anger for Sidious calls to me like a wailing banshee, screaming and howling in the wind, just begging to be silenced.

But something else calls to me on the far side of the galaxy.

Something... I can't comprehend_.  
_

Something beyond anything I have ever been trained or taught of.

Something entirely different.

But it doesn't taunt me, or coerce me into following after it.

It doesn't power me with rage, or beg me to silence its howling.

_No_, this calling is much softer than the other.

More...

_Appealing_.

More...

_Magnetizing._

It calls to me like a siren's song.

Not 'drawing me' in,_ per se_, but _forcing_ me in.

Leaving me no choice but to succumb to it.

And I _must_...

All of the sudden I hear a light beeping, and I'm temporarily pulled out of my trance.

My eyes dart from panel to panel, searching for any kind of blinking light or indication of a problem, only to realize that the sound is not coming from the ship, but from my person.

I quickly pat down my robe to find my com-link.

My thumb taps the activation switch.

The small screen lights up like a star.

My eyes widen in disbelief.

_It can't be._

It's _impossible._

There's _no way_ she could have knowingly activated it.

I told her it had no function other than to be worn around ones wrist.

Though I suppose it could've accidentally been activated...

_No,_ it's not possible. The data chip embedded in the band was no doubt destroyed when she had previously removed it.

Nothing else would make sense...

But if that were the case, why would my com-link be responding as if the band were activated?

I stare at the com-link in my hand, inwardly debating whether or not the device is malfunctioning, or picking up on another person's signal.

I reluctantly decide to zone-in on the location of the alleged 'distress call', figuring it wouldn't do any harm to at least _see_ where the signal is coming from.

I gloss over the locating button with my thumb, giving myself a few seconds to think it over before committing to activating it.

Finally, I tap the button, and the com-link displays a detailed hologram of the wrist band's - or beacon's - location.

Assuming the signal is correct, and not some other creature's distress beacon, the band happens to be on the Naboo system, in Theed.

_That_ can't be right.

Even if the signal is indeed that of the band I gave Padme, there's no way she would've kept it with her after the Jedi stole her away from me.

The _Jedi..._

My jaw tightens, and I clench my fists at the memory of them taking her away from me. It was one of the single most sickening moments I have ever experienced in my life.

Having something - or in this case, _someone_ \- slip from my fingertips so easily.

Had the Jedi not interfered, I never would've failed my mission, and Sidious would have never abandoned me and denied me his further teachings.

_No_, I must stop myself.

I will not blame _others_ for my failures.

Whether the Jedi had interfered or not, I should've had the cunning and strength to complete my mission.

And truthfully, _that_ is what really makes me sick.

Knowing that I _couldn't_, that I wasn't _capable_ of following through with my mission, and seeing it to the very end, _that_ is what makes me angry.

Not some _'Jedi'_.

Finding the subject to have become sour, I temporarily discard the topic and try focusing on the real task at hand;

_Where to land this junk-heap_.

* * *

**A/N I would really appreciate your feedback on this chapter especially, I rewrote it 26 times (no kidding). Let me know if you spot any typos too.  
**


	21. Final Blow

**Author's Note: Dear readers, my deepest apologies for my extended abscence, but at this point, I think it would be best to skip the explanations and just go straight to thanking all of you for your patience, and kinds words. **

**I truly appreciate every follow, favorite, and review ever so graciously given to me by you. Had it not been for you, this story would never have been finished (I _mean_ it).**

**Thank you Amari412, Amadeusan, Celgress, Zyzzyva, Lilliumconvallium, Xarine, Nikkette, sudooku, Reader-anonymous-writer, pigooz, &amp; Foxyloxy7  for reviewing (please let me know if I missed anyone!). **

**And an extra special thanks to amassanaoseliga. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. It really, really means a lot to me.**

**So, without further ado, here is one of the last chapters.**

**I Don't Own Star Wars.**

* * *

(Padme's POV)

My head aches.

Everything is a blur.

I remember falling.

In the water.

Struggling to resurface.

People jumping in after me, and then...

A bright light.

A glowing orb encasing my body.

It was the metal band on my wrist.

My bracelet.

It was a signal.

A_ beacon_.

And if it was activated that can only mean one thing...

My tired eyes flutter open, and I look up at the blurred outline of a male figure hovering above me.

"Your Highness?" The young male asks softly, holding my head up with his hand, worry etched on his face. "Are you alright?"

I manage to give him a small assuring smile.

"I'm _fine_ Obi-wan. Is everyone else okay?"

A strange look passes over his face.

"'Everyone_ else,_ Your Highness?" He questions disbelievingly. "It was _you_ that fell off the deep end, Your Majesty, not _them_."

My smile widens at his obviously unintended pun, and a quiet laugh escapes my lips and echoes off the tunnel's walls.

I manage to lift myself up into a sitting position with a bit of Obi-wan's help, and look up at the group of worried guards huddled around me.

Panaka is a yard or so away from the rest of them, a hand on his forehead, pacing back and forth anxiously.

He looks tired, oh so tired...

And it pains me to know that I've caused him this much distress.

Although he always hid behind a facade of cold indifference when it came to matters involving me ruling as queen, I see now that he cares much more for me than he wants to let on.

"Captain," I call to him, and he abruptly stops his pacing.

"I'm fine."

He briefly glances at me from over his shoulder, then stares up at the tunnel's ceiling and sighs.

"I never should've let you go last." He shakes his head at himself.

"It's alright Captain, I was perfectly fi-"

_"No,"_ He interrupts me crossly. "_You were not_. You could've been seriously injured!"

"But-" I begin to protest, but he cuts me off again.

"Or _worse_, Your Highness, you could have _drowned._"

"But I _didn't_."

"But you _could_ have. What would you have done if we weren't here to go in after you?" He asks.

"What would've happened then? I _cannot_ believe I let you do that." He shakes his head again.

"It's not your fault," I tell him. "You were just doing what I told you..."

"_Even_ when it endangered your safety!" He says, raising his voice before clearing his throat and addressing me in a much softer tone.

"Forgive me, your Highness," He says, folding his arms in front of himself.

"For what, Captain?"

"For being unworthy of protecting you..."

"Captain!" I scold him, rising to my feet.

A few guards offer their hands to assist me, but I politely decline them.

"Don't say such things..." I tell him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You are more worthy of protecting me than anyone, and I am truly honored to have you by my side, looking out for me and keeping me safe."

"Thank you, Your Highness..." He says, staring down at the floor.

"Shall we move onward?" He asks instead, patiently awaiting my answer. "Or shall we back out now while we still can?"

The Jedi and I glance among ourselves and the troops.

_Back out?_ We think.

At the very first complication?

We wouldn't _dare_.

Not with how many Naboo lives are at stake.

Not with so many helpless people trapped beyond the sea of weapons and droids, just waiting for someone or some sort of miracle to save them.

After how far we've come, we can't abandon them now.

And so we won't.

Not now, not _ever_.

"I believe we will be moving onward, Captain Panaka." Says Qui-gon, folding his hands in front of himself, a ghost of a smile on his face.

And without further ado, we move out.

* * *

When we enter the Palace, Panaka orders that the troops follow us in a circular formation, and that one of the Jedi be placed at either side of me for better protection.

I can tell by his raised brow and questioning look that he fully expects me to complain, but given our last incident, I wouldn't dare.

Besides, I'm just as nervous about the situation as he is.

_Anything_ could go wrong.

Nute may not even _be_ in the throne room.

It could be a trap.

There could be a whole _army_ of droids lurking somewhere in the Palace halls.

Or worse.

Nute could be _armed._

Probably _is_.

But I don't want to bring that to Panaka's attention.

I don't want him to worry any more than he already has.

So I don't argue.

I don't bring it to his attention that I discovered the band on my wrist is a beacon/tracking device either.

I can only _imagine_ the fit he'd have if he knew who the beacon belonged to as well.

If we make it out of this predicament - _No_,_ when_ we make it out of this predicament - I doubt the Captain will let me out of the Palace walls.

I wouldn't be surprised if he confined me to my room, and my room alone.

Actually, I wouldn't put it past him to -

_Wait._

_What...what is that?_

I stop in my tracks.

I tilt my head, and furrow my brows.

The guards pause and ready their arms.

Panaka glances over at me curiously, wondering why it is that we have stopped.

Obi-wan leans past me and looks over at Qui-gon.

"Master?" He questions, and the both of them exchange a strange look.

It all hits me like a ton of bricks.

I feel the strangest of feelings.

Like a tug.

_A pull._

I close my eyes and allow it to take over me.

It guides me down the palace's long halls and winding corridors.

Panaka, the Jedi, and the troops follow after me, despite the fact that I am not leading them in the direction of the throne room.

But Panaka knows this, I believe.

He's memorized the entire schematics of the Palace.

He knows every hall, every corner, every _inch_.

Yet still, he doesn't stop me.

He doesn't give me a questioning look.

He doesn't tell me to turn around.

He doesn't show any signs of doubting me.

Now I see it.

He's trying to_ trust_ me.

Maybe he thinks I have another plan.

I inwardly sigh, fearing the moment that he asks me.

Because right now, I _don't_ have another plan.

Right now, I'm blindly following the burning desire in my chest to find the creature - or person - whose drifting aura is so powerful that it _demands_ I acknowledge it.

What am I doing? I ask myself.

Shouldn't I be reclaiming my throne and saving my planet?

Since when is this more important than that?

How did this become my top priority?

Since when is -

Wait.

I'm getting close.

I can _fee_l it.

Calling me.

Seeking me.

_Taunting_ me.

I don't understand.

It's so close.

It's almost as if it's right around the-

I turn a corner and gasp out loud, violently sucking the air into my lungs.

Because who I see is so shocking, so paralyzing, that I can hardly breathe.

Even Panaka is paralyzed.

The Jedi's hands instinctively shoot to their belts, ready to draw their lightsabers.

I stare at the creature across from me in awe.

His robes are tattered and torn, bits and pieces shredded.

His forehead beaded in sweat, making his tattoos seem like they're melting off his skin.

And his brow furrowed, eyes ablaze.

"Your Highness, back up! Now!" Panaka demands, shielding me with one of his arms.

I do as I'm told, stepping back before I even have a moment to think about it.

The Jedi draw their lightsabers and prepare for a battle.

"To the throne room, now!" Panaka yells.

All of us but the Jedi double back, and the Captain ushers us back down the halls in the correct direction of the throne room.

I manage to sneak a last glance at Maul from over my shoulder before Panaka puts a hand to my side and guides me in the opposite direction.

I don't know why, but I want to resist him.

I want to break free of his grip and stay behind with Maul.

I know I have a duty to protect my planet and its people, but right now I feel as if helping _him_ is just as important.

He may have captured me while under the command of someone else, but if he didn't kill me first chance he had, or turn me over to them the second he could, then why should he have to pay for just following their orders?

He didn't _harm_ me.

Not really.

He may have scared me some, or frightened me a little. But in the end, he _did_ protect me. And when it really counted.

I don't know why, and I can't even begin to understand how, but over the course of a few days, I have developed what I can only possibly describe as 'feelings' for the poor creature.

He...

He's not the monster that everyone thinks he is.

He's not as dastardly or terrifying either.

He's just..._misguided_.

Despite what anyone else will tell me, I know there is some good in him. _Way_ deep inside him.

And some way, some how, I plan on bringing it out.

But in this moment, _right here_, _right now_ it'll have to wait.

Because until Nute Gunray is within my grasp, and my people are guaranteed safety, and we can put all of this far, far behind us, I can't bring myself to help him. Not this soon, at least.

There's too much at stake.

I just hope that confronting Nute doesn't take long.

What if Qui-gon and Obi-wan _kill_ him?

Or _worse_, what if he kills _them?_

I can't bear to even have the thought in my head.

So I shake it away.

When we reach the door to the throne room, Panaka hands me a blaster.

The troops take their places guarding me on either side, and we all prepare ourselves to charge once the entrance is opened.

I exhale quietly, steadying the blaster in my hands.

_This is it._

What we've been working for this whole time.

"We're ready on your signal, Your Highness." One of the younger troops informs me.

_Okay Padme, _I tell myself,_ you can do this_.

"Now!" I yell.

The entrance lifts, and the door is opened.

The troops storm in all at once, me leading the group.

To my surprise, the room is nearly empty.

Aside from a few disheveled furnishings and broken droids, that is.

We spot Nute cowaring by the room's extravagent glass window.

A hand on either side of his face, his eyes shut tight.

I train my blaster on him dare he try and escape (though I doubt it wil happen judging from his demeaner), and cautiously inch closer to his crouching figure.

"Go ahead!" He yells, surprising all of us at the intensity of his voice, and causing a few of the troops to jump back in shock.

"Just take it!" He says, gesturing towards the seat of the throne. "It's rightfully yours anyway! Just leave me out of this!"

I don't like it.

I don't like the way he sounds.

_Or_ the way he's acting.

Something's not right.

Something's definitely amiss.

"It's not like you to give up so easily Nute," I tell him, as the troops grab hold of either one of his arms and lift him off the floor.

"What do you have planned?" I demand, sending him a quick glare, only to have him avoid my gaze and look woefully out the window.

"They're all gone!" He cries. "Every last one of them!"

"Who's all gone?" I ask, far beyond confused.

He briefly glances over at me before peering back out of the window.

My eyes follow his gaze.

There are countless droid parts scattered below the Palace's entrance.

Broken and chopped in half.

A long trail of them goes as far out as the human eye can see.

My mind is reeling.

The _entire_ droid army is gone?

_How?_

_Why?_

_Who?_

There's only one person I know of that is capable of tearing apart that many different opponents at once;_ Maul._

But even with as skilled as he is, how would he manage to do it?

I blink in confusion as the troops pull Nute away from the window and drag him off elsewhere.

"Your Highness!" Panaka warns me, sprinting to my side in a second.

I whip around just in time to see Maul dash into the room, lightsaber in hand, the Jedi not far behind him.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you, Your Highness!" Obi-wan tells me as he and Qui-gon close in on him.

But it's not the Jedi that he interested in;

It's Nute.

Both guards drop his arms as Maul furiously makes his way over to him and slashes at him with his lightsaber.

"Wait!" I yell, desperately trying to capture his attention.

But it's too late.

Nute falls to his knees and clutches his wounded arm.

Maul towers over him and taunts him with his lightsaber's blade, ready to make the killing blow.

"Maul," I adress him softly, the Jedi and the troops exchange confused looks, probably surprised to learn that he _has_ a name, but no one lowers their weapons.

I take a few cautious steps towards him, much to Panaka's chagrin.

"Don't do this," I beg him. "Not now. I can't deny that Nute is a _liar_ and a _traitor_, but what entails him suffering for something _no doubt_ someone else put him up to?"

Maul curls his lip up in disgust, and reluctantly lowers his weapon.

His body exhausted, and his inner fire finally having burned out.

He turns his horned head to face me, and exhales in a huff, like a disobedient dog that's been scolded for not bowing to its owner.

Yellow eyes lock with mine, and I could almost _swear_ I see the glossy film of fresh tears begin to form. But there's no way to be certain.

And I'm_ so close_ to reaching him.

So _close_ to touching him, and hugging him, and getting him to let go of all his anger.

But then it happens...

No one sees it coming.

Not me.

Not Panaka.

Not the troops.

No one.

It all happened so fast.

So quick.

I can still hear the sound of the footsteps.

The waving of the lightsaber.

The blow of the weapon as it hit its victim, and plunged its way into their chest.

I can't hold it in.

I can't hide my distress.

I release a loud scream, and fall to my knees.


	22. Drifting

**Author's Note: I'd like to address Foxyloxy7 before proceeding with the next chapter. I'm sorry I did not respond to your inquiries from before, but I had forgotten that you'd been leaving guest reviews as opposed to leaving reviews in an account, and therefore couldn't be replied to. **

**So, to answer your previous question; Padme got the blaster from her ship, not Maul's. Because at the time that Padme had landed, Maul was only just getting into orbit, if that makes sense. ^^;**

**Also, I'm very happy that you've been enjoying this story thus far, and wanted you to know that your support and input does not go unnoticed. I am always happy to receive a review from you, so thank you for taking some time out of your day to leave one.**

**As for your inquiry to why Palpatine wanted Padme, in all honesty I never did come up with an "official" reason. But the best that I could conjure is that he wanted to have someone beside him to rule the planet with, and figured that because Padme was already queen that the Naboo people would just follow along with his new rules because Padme would be made to enforce them. But if you or anyone else has any better suggestions or ideas please let me know.  
**

**Also, if there is any confusion whatsoever concerning what happened in this chapter, just drop a review and I'll try my best to explain it. I'm not the best writer, I'll admit, and often times I'll tell half or part of a story without realizing it, so please don't feel bad if you have to ask. **

**Anyway, without further ado, here is the next chapter.  
**

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own Star Wars.  
**

* * *

_**(Maul's POV)**_

The blade plunges into my chest.

Cloth and flesh melting one into the other, until both begin to dissolve.

The pain comes quick.

Like a blast from a laser pistol.

I don't understand it.

I cannot be killed.

I cannot be beaten.

Why do I feel so _defeated?_

The young Jedi's eyes seem as surprised as mine as he deactivates his lightsaber, extracting it from my chest as I gasp and collapse onto the hard floor.

Padme rushes over to me, despite the protests she receives from one of her guards.

She is at my side in a minute, kneeling beside me and wrapping her arms around me.

And I am so disoriented, so baffled, that I can't even bring myself to push the young girl away.

To my surprise the Jedi doesn't seem to draw any sort of satisfaction from rendering me useless.

If anything, he seems _alarmed_.

As if his attempt to kill me was a mistake.

A grave one.

Disbelief evident on his face, he slowly backs away from Padme and I, drops to his knees, and lets his lightsaber clatter onto the floor, his Master coming to his side to place a comforting hand on his Padawan's shoulder.

I haven't the time for peering at the the two of them though, deciding instead to set my fading sights on something more worthwhile;

_Padme._

Her name echoes softly in my mind.

I stare at her.

She's so... _fascinating_, I see now.

So...

What is the word I had mentioned before that humans use?

_Beautiful_, I believe...

It _vexes_ me to even think of the word, yet still...it suits her...

But just as I have previously mentioned; beauty is _only_ in the eye of the beholder.

And _unlike_ I have previously mentioned; she is now my_ beheld_.

Or perhaps, now, I am_ hers..._

She brings her hands to my face and rests my head on her lap.

Not a position I would normally allow myself to be put in, but not a particularly uncomfortable one.

"No..." She sobs. "No, no,"

"Why would you do that, huh? Why?" She asks the Jedi, tears stinging her precious eyes.

"I-I..." The Jedi says weakly, almost sadly. "He was going to kill you, You're Majesty..."

"You don't know that..." She whimpers before falling silent when she notices me stir, and my lips try and form words.

"I warned you..." I breathe out slowly, my oxygen dwindling by the second. "Not to run away from me again..."

"I know," She laughs shortly, more tears spilling out of her eyes.

"I told you I would find you..." I tell her.

"Why did you come back?" She asks, eyes desperately searching mine.

"There was...a change in plans..." I breathe in a quick breath of air. "Had to find you...before he did..."

"Before who?" She asks urgently, quickly sniffling away her tears.

"Before..." I sum up all of my strength, and try uttering those last few words.

But I can't.

"Maul," She says, so graciously, so softly, almost as if it comes naturally to her and she finds pleasure in hearing herself say it, and that my name isn't just bitterly rolling off her tongue for the second time.

And it's that moment that one of my hearts truly stops.

I can't move.

I can't breathe.

I can _hardly_ form any clear thoughts, so after a few seconds I stop trying.

My vision begins to blur.

Her voice is no longer as clear as it was...

Now I hear her echoes...

"Maul," She says again, giving me a little shake to try and keep me conscious for a while longer.

At the very least, I can still feel her _hands_...her _arms_ around me.

And I have never felt so at peace before in my entire existence...

"Maul, Maul!" She says, shaking me urgently, fearing the thought of losing me in her own arms.

"Maul!"

...

'Maul!'

...

Maul!

...

And her voice slowly becomes more and more distant as I begin drifting away...

...

Maul...

...

Maul.

_..._

_What's that sound, I wonder?_

_That thought..._

_That...name..._

_It seems to mean something..._

_Or seems like it did mean something at some point..._

_What can it be...?_

_..._

_Who does that name belong to...?_

_I can't remember..._

* * *

_I hear voices..._

_..._

_Broken voices..._

_..._

_Quips of conversation and dialogue...sounds..._

...

"What are you doing?" A young male's voice inquires, echoing into my head.

I try to shake it out, but I can't.

...

"Why are you saving him?"

...

_Saving who, I wonder...?_

_..._

"It's _not_ the Jedi way to let someone suffer," The older male's voice chips in.

_Jedi..._

_Why does that sound so familiar...?_

...

"And it's_ not_ the Jedi way to give aid to a notorious phantom and let him back out on the prowl, either!" The younger male counters.

...

"What do you propose we do to him? Let him _suffer_?"

...

"He's suffering already, Master! If we were to do anything to help him it would be to put an end to his life and let his soul cross over."

...

"I am very disappointed in you, my young Padawan. Has The Council taught you nothing of mercy?"

...

"Master, "_The Council"_ would be very displeased with _both_ of us if they knew we were saving the Queen's captor. You know that as much as I."

...

"Indeed. But you also know as much as I that the Council doesn't _always_ know better. He could be the only link we have to finding out if the Sith still exist."

...

A sigh.

...

"And you thought _me_ to be the rebellious one."

...

"Is he stable?"

...

"Yes."

...

"Can he hear us, you think?'

...

"Only one way to find out,"

...

"_Maul._"

...

...

I begin to drift in and out of consciousness.

...

My mind wanders, and floats...

_..._

_ ... "Maul?"... (a girl's voice...)_

... _"Maul." ... (no, a woman's voice)_

_ ... 'Maul?" ... ___(she calls to me...)_ _

_ ... Maul. ... __(she...)_

_... Maul? ... _  
_ (she NEEDS me)_

_Maul. _

_..._

_AAAAGGGHHHH! AAAAGGGGHHHHH!_

My head aches, it _screams._

My mind is scattered.

_The voices..._

_The voices, the voices..._

They SURROUND me!

_They FOLLOW me!_

_They CALL me-_

_They-_

* * *

I awaken on a large metal table in the center of a cold metal room.

I am surrounded by monitors, and medical equipment.

A life-line beeps in a far corner, and a screen displays a diagram of a heart.

One of _two_ hearts.

_My_ hearts.

I attempt to sit myself up, only to find that my arms and legs are strapped down.

I struggle against my bindings for a moment, shifting my limbs as best I can, and shaking my body from side to side before realizing my lack of strength.

_ "Aggghhhh!"_

I roar in frustration.

Where am I?

Why am I still here?

Why am I still alive?

And why, just why couldn't the Jedi let me die with some dignity?!

I didn't want to be saved.

I didn't ask to be.

I don't _deserve_ to be saved.

I was nothing but a _pawn_ in Sidious's game.

A tool.

Even by choosing to follow my own path he got what he wanted;

Rid of _me_.

His _lowly_ servant.

His _disappointment._

His_ failure..._

Though what have I to care about it now that I am free of his influence?

He had planned this all along.

He wanted me - expected me - to be _dead._

He had anticipated this from the start.

But wait.

That means he hadn't expected me to survive.

He doesn't know that I am still living.

Still breathing.

I don't have to follow him anymore.

I don't have to let him know of my existence.

I can leave.

I can be my own master.

Free to do whatever I please, _whenever_ I please.

No orders to follow.

No tests to be taken.

The only being I have to satisfy or impress is _myself_.

And I will let _nothing_, absolutely_ nothing _get in the way of that.

I summon up all of my strength, the strength deep inside me, the strength even _I_ didn't know I still possessed, and break free of my bindings.

I claw at them, and pull them.

I stretch them, and tear them.

They are ripped completely off of the metal table and flung carelessly across the room.

I pull away all the tubes and devices hooked to my bare chest, and revel in the feeling of being liberated.

I exit the small metal room by accessing the keypad with my hand, and enter another where I find an oblivious medical droid beeping about, and a container holding my personal attire.

I briskly put on my boots, garbs, and gloves, and prepare to leave.

The last thing I intend to do is alert the Jedi that I have awakened.

I'm sure it would not be wise to have another confrontation with them in my current condition.

The plan is to get to the nearest landing port and take the first ship off this blasted planet.

But first...

There is something I must do.

Someone I must see...

I don my cloak and pull the hood over my head.

If I ever had a moment at all to act on the matter, this would be my last.

* * *

**Author's Note: I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. ^_^**

**I had planned to post this chapter the day of, but was too busy to do so.**

**Please let me know if you see any typographical errors.**


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